


Everyday Is a Winding Road

by roslinadamasinequanon



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Children, Drama, Episode: s03e09 Bartlet for America, Episode: s04e05 Debate Camp, Episode: s04e06 Game On, Episode: s04e07 Election Night, Episode: s04e08 Process Stories, Episode: s04e14 Inauguration, Episode: s04e15 Inauguration: Over There, F/M, Family, Political, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-03-10
Updated: 2007-03-10
Packaged: 2019-05-15 05:12:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 146,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14784186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roslinadamasinequanon/pseuds/roslinadamasinequanon
Summary: Jed and Abbey tour the country campaigning for re-election, sometimes apart, sometimes together, with steamy interludes in between. Through their combined experiences we get to see many different parts of the country culminating with Jed's second inauguration.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Abbey kneeled in the fecund earth, the sun beating down on her back causing rivulets of sweat to drip down between her breasts. Every so often she stopped weeding and lifted her head to watch the sun sparkle over the blue expanse of Chesapeake Bay. She ignored the two cigarette boats manned by Secret Service agents and instead focused on the pristine white sails dotting the horizon as she lifted her ponytail to allow the breeze off the bay to cool the back of her damp neck. 

She was back in Port Harmony after almost a week of campaigning and fund-raising in the Northeast – speeches in Boston, house parties in Connecticut, Broadway openings in New York City, and Long Island lawn parties in the Hamptons, all interspersed with tours of hospitals and factories. To an outsider it might appear to be a glamorous lifestyle, and in some ways it was. But, mostly it was exhausting. She did not draw energy from a crowd the way that her husband did. It was the one on one that she enjoyed – the few brief moments that she was allowed to meet with real people and listen to their wants and their needs. In listening to those wants and needs she could truly appreciate just how difficult it was for her husband to govern such a large and diverse nation. Basic needs were the same: health care, affordable housing, good education. But moving away from that, she heard issues concerning agriculture in Vermont, the high tech industry in southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts, fishing quota issues from Maine to Rhode Island, blue collar steelworkers in Pennsylvania, on and on it went until places became a blur. 

Oftentimes she would find herself in a hotel room and would have to ask Lily where they were. Hotels all looked the same and if it was one thing that she missed with this whirlwind type of campaigning it was not getting to truly see the places that she visited. She flew in, spoke, and left without getting to delve into the atmosphere, to find out what made a place tick. People thought she was so lucky to get to "travel" all over the country. Huh, she wished. She loved to travel and visit new places, but that was not what campaigning was all about. It was about looking perfect and smiling until her face ached. It was about making polite conversation and never saying the wrong thing or setting the wrong foot forward. It was being diplomatic when you really wanted to sock some obnoxious reporter in the face. It was work, pure and simple and much of the time she was looking forward to getting home to Jed and the kids. After facing her own mortality over the summer, this need to be with them was even more pronounced. 

Unfortunately, getting home to Jed was not quite that easy. He was just as busy as she was – flying in and out of Washington almost on a daily basis. Earlier that morning, when she had been out riding through the woods and along the edge of the bay on Aquinnah, she had realized, with some surprise, that she had not spent a night with her husband in almost three weeks and that it had been over two months since they'd been intimate. She had needed that time to heal, first physically and later emotionally. Unconsciously, she placed a hand to her left breast. The pain was gone and just that morning in the shower she'd noticed that the bruising had completely faded; something she was incredibly thankful for since her body was starting to scream at her for some action. Over two months of abstinence was definitely taking its toll. 

"Mrs. Bartlet!" 

Abbey looked back toward the house, shading her eyes against the bright sun. It was Izzy standing on the porch. 

"Phone call for you," Izzy shouted again. "It's the President." 

Abbey immediately got to her feet and began jogging away from the flower garden toward the house. Despite their physical absence, they still spoke on the phone several times a day and Abbey was loath to miss out on a call. 

Jed lay back in his big empty hotel bed, still half asleep. It was 7 a.m. and he'd just awakened from an incredibly erotic dream. A dream so hot and so vivid he couldn't believe that he hadn't awakened to find himself inside his wife's body. Instead, with a terrible pain of longing as he waited for her to come in from the garden, he could hear his kids playing and laughing in the background. He missed them terribly. He missed their messy breakfasts and doing puzzles with them to unwind from a busy day. He missed holding them fresh from their nightly bath while he read them bedtime stories and feeling them sleeping between him and Abbey in their big warm bed after bad dreams had assaulted their innocent sleep. It was times like these that he wondered what exactly they could understand – if they had any idea at all of why their father was just flitting in and out of their lives lately. 

"Hey, babe." It was Abbey on the line; his grim face immediately relaxed into a smile. 

"Hey yourself." 

"You sound sad." 

"I was just listening to the kids playing with their stuffed kittens. I miss them. I miss you." 

"We miss you, too." Abbey's guilty eyes moved toward the living room where Nicholas and Aislinn were peering under the couch calling "kitty, kitty". Well, there would be enough time when he got home to tell him about Oliver. 

"So, tell me, my lovely. Whatcha wearing?" 

"What am I wearing?" He had caught her by surprise. That was a question usually asked on their late night conversations. A quick glance at the clock told her that while she had been up for quite a few hours, he was still in bed. 

"Had one of THOSE dreams, did you?" She grinned and made her way to the privacy of the pantry, shutting the door behind her. 

"Damn near needed to have a maid come up and change the sheets." 

Abbey laughed, throaty and sexy. "You sure you're up for this conversation?" 

Jed glanced down ruefully at the tent in the sheet. "Abbey, do me a favor. Don't mention the word UP right now." 

"Hey, you started it, not me. Let's see, you wanted to know what I'm wearing." She gazed down at her dirt smeared khaki shorts and her sweaty tank top and pushed back a wet tendril of hair off her damp forehead, hardly a look for erotic dreams or even phone sex. "I'm laying in bed wearing those crotchless panties you fell in love with in the Frederick's of Hollywood catalog and nothing else." 

"Really?" Jed sounded amused. "So you do your gardening in the semi-nude now?" 

"Ah, you cheated, Bartlet. You asked Izzy what I was doing." 

"Gotta keep tabs on my girl, don't I?" 

"Well, how do you know that while you've been gone I haven't taken up nude gardening as a hobby?" 

"You wouldn't hear me complaining. You might actually get me to do some weeding." 

"That would be a first." 

"God, I miss you so damn much." His teasing tone had turned to one of sheer longing. "I want to be with you. I want to run my hands up and down your body. I want to bury my face between your breasts and between your thighs. I want to taste every inch of you and when you can't stand it anymore, I want to feel you stretch as I slide inside you. I want to hear those soft sexy whimpers you make right before you…" 

"Jesus, stop, Jed." She nearly moaned in protest. Her pulse was racing, her legs felt weak and shaky and a thin sheen of perspiration covered her body – not, this time – from the heat of the sun, but from the heat of her husband's words. "What are you trying to do to me?" 

"I'm trying to get you all hot and bothered. It's been over two months, Abbey. I don't think I have it in me for any foreplay tonight." 

"So you thought you'd get it out of the way now?" 

"Something like that." 

"Mommy?" 

Abbey had been so engrossed in Jed's "foreplay" she hadn't heard Nicholas open the pantry door. He was standing in the doorway sucking his thumb, giving her a puzzled look. She supposed it did seem odd to him to find his mother in the small dark room with the door shut. 

"What is it, love?" 

"Hungwy." 

"Okay, how would you like some apple juice and a graham cracker?" 

Nicholas nodded but he was still eyeing her with a funny look. 

"You want to talk to Daddy while I get your snack?" 

"DADDY!" Nicholas raced forward and grabbed the phone from her. 

Abbey smiled as she poured the juice into a sippie cup listening to her son babble on in his broken baby English a mile a minute to his father, then watched the intent look grow on his face as he listened to what his father was saying. She wondered what Jed was asking him to elicit the careful "yes…yes…no…yes…" responses. As Aislinn raced up to wait her turn on the phone, Abbey couldn't help but hope that Jed would make it home before they went to bed. As much as she was looking forward to falling into bed with him, she knew how desperately the children missed him and how much he missed them. 

**** 

It was the moment Jed had been anticipating from the moment Air Force One set down at Andrews and he had switched to Marine One for the quick ten minute flight out to his and Abbey's weekend home in Port Harmony, Maryland. Set in over thirty acres of woods and fields and surrounded on one side by the huge expanse of Chesapeake Bay, their home was an oasis of privacy just minutes away from the White House. 

As he entered the house, he could hear his family down the hall in the kitchen. They were singing about ten little angels. He paused in the archway with a smile. He first saw Aislinn. She was seated in her high chair finishing her supper. He then turned and saw Abbey. She was standing barefoot at the counter with Nicholas on her hip wearing slim fitting faded jeans and a white T-shirt. The setting sun shone through the window and gleamed in her copper hair which she wore pulled back in a ponytail. She was wearing her glasses and reading from a cookbook while she sang with the kids. 

"Eight little angels all dressed in…" she paused. 

"WHITE!" Nicholas and Aislinn shouted with laughter. 

"Trying to get to heaven on the end of a…" 

"KITE!" 

"When the kite string broke and down they all fell. Instead of going to heaven they all went to ––" 

"Seven little angels all dressed in…" Jed sang entering the kitchen. 

"DADDY!" the kids shrieked. Nicholas began kicking Abbey's legs to be let down and Aislinn was banging hers against the high chair trying to squirm free from her restraints. 

"Hey, my little dunkin' munchkins!" Jed caught Abbey's eye and knelt to envelop Nicholas in a bear hug. "How's Daddy's big boy? Did you take care of Mommy and Aislinn like I asked?" 

Nicholas nodded seriously then tucked his head back against his father's chest. 

"Daddy…Daddy," Aislinn began banging her spoon in an effort to gain his attention. 

"I'm coming, sunshine. I'm coming." He hoisted Nicholas on to his hip and made his way over to his daughter. 

"Mmm…peas and applesauce, that looks good." His words were muffled against Aislinn's pale curls as he kissed the top of her head. Always ready to please him, Aislinn dipped some of her peas into her applesauce and held out her chubby hand for her father to have a bite. 

"You walked right into that one," Abbey informed him. She bit her lip to keep her amusement from showing as Jed accepted the bite from his daughter, trying not to grimace at the combination. 

"It's not actually that bad," he told her, as he set Nicholas on the floor. "Now isn't Mommy going to welcome me home?" 

Abbey looked down with dismay. Her T-shirt had a small brown stain on the shoulder where Nicholas had coughed up chocolate milk on her and there was applesauce in her hair from the kids' fingers. She'd hoped to have herself showered and the kids bathed before Jed came home. 

"I'm a bit of a mess." 

"So I noticed," he grinned. "Whatever happened to the days when you greeted me at the end of the day in a slinky Victoria's Secret special garment?" 

"You got me all liquored up and knocked me up with twins." 

"I did that, eh? Are we re-writing a bit of history tonight?" 

"Yes, we are." They were grinning like fools at each other when Izzy entered the room. 

"Would you like me to get the twins started on their baths, Mrs. Bartlet?" Privacy was obviously needed here. 

"That would be great, Izzy. Thanks." Abbey's eyes never left Jed's face, but his were riveted to the doorway. As soon as Izzy shut the door behind her and the kids, he pulled Abbey up against him, his mouth demanding and greedy. Abbey leaned into his body sliding her tongue against his, her mouth just as demanding as his. 

"Mmm…you're already hard," she murmured, rubbing up against erection. 

"It's been so long." He trailed his mouth along her jaw. "I get hard just thinking about your kisses." He pulled her knee up over his hip so that her groin was pressed up tightly against his pulsing hardness. Abbey wanted to scream with frustration. 

"Not here, Jed…" She broke away, breathless and shaky. "The kids are still up…and Izzy." 

"Just slip your pants down. We'll be quick." He was already tugging at the clasp in her jeans. 

"Wait –" She pushed his hands away. "Not here." 

"Christ, woman, WHERE then…" He wasn't going to make it to their bedroom. Instead, he looked around wildly for privacy his eye falling on a door down the hall. "Come on, the study." He grabbed her wrist and practically dragged her down the hall to the study. While Jed locked the door, Abbey made her way to the couch yanking her T-shirt from where it was tucked into her jeans then grabbing at the hem and pulling it up over her head. 

"Damn," Jed muttered, seeing her in the dainty white bra with the rose bud clasp between her breasts. Then, in the next instant they were both falling onto the leather couch, a tangle of arms and legs. 

"I need you in me…now, Jed, NOW." Abbey's fingers were tugging desperately on his belt. 

"Yes, oh God, yes." He helped her and together they got his pants down over his hips. 

Jed heard a hiss and a yowl that sounded surprisingly like a cat. 

"SON OF A BITCH!" He exploded as sharp claws dug into his posterior. 

Abbey's eyes widened with surprise as he reared off her body. 

"What the hell is it?" He was trying to look over his shoulder. "Get it off me, Abbey. Get it off!" 

He turned around and Abbey doubled over in laughter at the sight of the tiny tortoiseshell kitten hanging from her husband's rear, his big green eyes wide with fear at the man's bellowing. 

"Come here, Oliver." She pulled the kitten gently off of Jed's boxers. "Oh, sweetie, did Daddy scare you with all that yelling?" She nuzzled her nose against the kitten, which began to purr in his mistress' arms. 

"Daddy? Did you just refer to me as Daddy to that mangy little cat?" 

"Oliver is not mangy." Abbey defended the tiny scrap. 

"Oliver, huh? When were you going to tell me that we now have a cat?" 

"After I put you in a better mood," she smiled slyly. Jed liked dogs. He was not a cat person and neither really was she, but he had always caved in with a few pleading looks and batted eyelashes from his daughters. 

"You thought that after a little slap and tickle I'd be putty in your hands." 

"No, I KNEW you'd be putty in my hands." She flashed him a sassy smile. "Oliver is an orphan, hence the name. I gave him some milk and he just kept meowing 'more please, more please'." 

"I believe animals are referred to as strays, Abbey, not orphans." 

"Orphan, stray, same difference. He needs a home and we have one." 

"End of story." 

"Yup, end of story." 

"Well, would you mind shutting the little ORPHAN out of this room so we can continue where we were without me having to worry about anyone's nails but yours in my ass." 

"I believe I can do that. See, I CAN compromise." 

Abbey shut the cat out of the room then returned to her spot under Jed's body on the couch. She had just reached into his boxers to draw him back to life when there was a sharp knock on the door. 

"Jesus Christ, WHAT NOW?!" he bellowed at the door with frustration. 

"Sir, it's me, Charlie." 

Jed threw on his shirt over his boxers and made his way to the door, opening it just a slit so Charlie wouldn't see Abbey on the couch. "This better be DAMN good, Charlie. I just flew back from Arizona for ONE night with my wife. I have to leave in the morning." 

"Sir, Mr. McGarry just called. There's been a situation. He needs you back at the White House for a meeting with the Jordanian ambassador in an hour. Marine One is ready when you are." 

"Yeah, okay." Jed sounded deflated, defeated. Their chance was over; who knew when their schedules would mesh again. "I'll be out in a bit." 

"Yes, sir." 

He felt Abbey press up against him from behind. "Oh, fuck," she muttered softly against his back. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." 

"I would if I could, sweetheart." 

"We still have half an hour, if you skip supper…" 

"Say no more." Jed pulled her back to his body and enthusiastically began yanking her jeans down over her slender hips, any thoughts of supper banished from his mind. He began to nuzzle along her neck, his hands slipping inside her silk panties to cup her soft rear in his palms. Abbey moaned into his thick hair, her fingers digging into his shoulders. 

"Mommy…" 

"What the hell was that?" Jed pulled back, eyes hazy with passion, hair falling over wildly over his brow. 

"Mommy…" This time Aislinn's voice was accompanied by the sound of the doorknob turning. 

Abbey gasped and made a quick dash for her clothes. 

"Don't panic," Jed told her. "I locked it, remember?" 

"Oh…yeah." She stopped rushing, but continued to slip her jeans back on. 

"I thought they were taking a bath," Jed grumbled. 

"I've been gone almost all week. I promised them a story before bed." She was clearly torn between her husband and her children. 

"Shit." Disappointment was more than evident in the expletive. 

"I'm sorry. I really wasn't expecting you until much later. It's okay. Don't put your clothes back on. I'll just have Izzy do it." 

"Mommy…" 

Jed heard the pleading in both his son's and daughter's voices. Abbey had been gone for almost a week; they'd missed her and they needed her. Hell, he needed her, but right now in spite of a body raging with suppressed needs, he couldn't be the selfish bastard he wanted to be. 

"Go read to them. I'll survive." 

Abbey had to smile at the dejected tone of his voice. 

"You sound like a horny teenager, Jed." 

"I feel like a horny teenager." He got to his feet and headed toward the back door that led out to the sloping lawn on the edge of the bay. 

"Where are you going?" 

"To take care of things the same way that I did when we were dating." 

Abbey shook her head watching him head out across the lawn wearing only his boxers and a wide open dress shirt flapping in the wind, then moved to open the door and let the twins in. They happened to catch sight of their father just as he jumped off the end of the pier and into the bay. They could hear his shout from the study. 

"Daddy cold?" Nicholas asked. 

"I suspect that is exactly what your daddy was looking for, little man," Abbey gave him a rueful half smile. "So, what's it going to be tonight, kiddos?" 

"Luna, luna," Aislinn held the big book out to her mother. 

" _Stellaluna_ it is." 

**** 

Later that evening, with both kids safely tucked in their cribs, Abbey tried to relax back in her bubble bath with a good book. It was no use. She kept reading the same page over and over because her mind continued to drift back to what had happened earlier in the study. Jed had set her body aflame and now she was dealing with the consequences of that. Finally, with a disgusted sigh, she rose from the tub and moved to the bedroom. 

Still wrapped in just her towel, she bent to pick up Jed's overnight case. His stay was to be so brief they hadn't even removed his luggage from Air Force One. He'd simply arrived, like a clandestine lover, with his overnight case. 

She began pulling the clothes from the case, folding them neatly and placing them in Jed's dresser. She paused now and again to sniff at his shirt but when she found herself rubbing her cheek against his sweatshirt, she had to laugh at herself. She had accused Jed of behaving like a teenager earlier but now here she was acting like some starry-eyed, love-struck teen. Still, in spite of feeling foolish, Abbey found Jed's bay rum aftershave and poured some into her hands, patting it into his pillow so that the room smelled like him. Then, completely naked, she slid between the satin sheets she'd placed on the bed in anticipation of Jed's arrival for the night. Crawling in between those cool, sinfully sensuous sheets naked had been a big mistake. Her body throbbed and ached for Jed. She languidly moved her body against the smooth sheets feeling her nipples harden in response. When she was younger she had never believed that when she and Jed had been married for this long that she would still ache for him the way that she was now. 

"Damn," she muttered, and in desperation she got to her feet, turned on the air conditioner, and found a pair of old flannel pajamas to put on, anything to keep her bare skin off those sheets. When she got back into bed she pulled the pillow she had doused with Jed's aftershave in tightly to her chest. Her last coherent thought was the formulation of a plan designed for her to have her husband for at least an entire night. An entirely wicked plan that caused her to fall asleep with a very provocative smile on her lips. A plan that was sure to give her erotic dreams until the wee hours of the morning. 


	2. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"Whew, what crawled up his butt today?" Josh asked, as he and the rest of the senior staff departed the President's hotel room. 

"He's been sullen and broody all afternoon," Sam added. "Now he's just getting downright nasty." 

"Could be the heat," Josh suggested. "He hates the heat." 

"It isn't the heat," Charlie told them. "It's the fact that Mrs. Bartlet forgot." 

"Forgot what?" Sam asked. 

Leo's eyes widened realizing what day it was. "Abbey doesn't forget," he said. "EVER. It's a big thing with them." 

"Well, she forgot this year," Charlie said. "And the President is NOT taking it well at all." 

"Will someone please enlighten me here? WHAT did Mrs. Bartlet forget?" Josh demanded to know. 

"Today is the President's birthday. She never called him or got a message to him or anything." Charlie gave Leo a knowing look. 

"She's a thousand miles away. She's busy. I'm sure she just forgot." Bruno shook his head over the foolishness of getting upset over something that trivial. 

"No, you don't understand. Mrs. Bartlet NEVER forgets," Charlie repeated what Leo had said earlier. "Even when they have a big weekend bash planned, she ALWAYS calls on his actual birthday. Even when she was in Zimbabwe one year she got a 'Happy Birthday' message out to him." 

"In '98 we were campaigning in Michigan and she wasn't with us. She got word to a campaign staffer and had him dress up in a lion suit to deliver her birthday greeting." Leo grinned at the memory. 

"A lion suit?" Josh looked puzzled. 

"Because he's a Leo," Sam smiled with acknowledgement. "You know, fire sign, the born leader of the astrological chart. Come on, Josh, get with the program here." 

"Astronomy is not exactly my field of expertise." 

"Astrology," Sam corrected. 

"Whatever." 

"It started back when they were dating in college." Leo moved past the astrology argument. "The President was spending the summer teaching at an Indian reservation in Arizona and Abbey was in Massachusetts with her family. Somehow she was able to reach him through the Jesuits and wish him a happy birthday. Since then she has NEVER forgotten. I can't imagine what happened this year." 

**** 

Abbey sat in the limousine as it stopped in front of her hotel, waiting for the agents to okay her departure. A valet approached and chatted a bit with one of her agents then went to the trunk to grab her _Louis Vuitton_ luggage and garment bags and put them onto a cart. As her door was opened, she slipped her sunglasses down over her eyes and stepped out into the blazing sunshine. The first thing that struck her was the overpowering steamy heat and the moistness in the air that made it feel as if she were breathing underwater. Her blouse immediately clung to her back with perspiration and it had truly been a mistake to wear pantyhose. As she stood for a moment gazing up at the romantic red brick Place D'Armes, her senses were not only assaulted by the heat but by the competing sounds of the street musicians from Jackson Square and the scent of coffee and food coming from the many restaurants that surrounded the hotel. She was standing in the middle of the French Quarter in New Orleans ready to surprise her husband with a weekend she hoped he would never forget. 

As she made her way down the hall of the hotel that had been cleared out for the President, she knew that her husband had returned from a day of campaigning thanks to the agents posted at the end of every hall and in front of his suite. She entered his room kicking off her shoes and tugging her pantyhose down her legs almost immediately. She stood for a few moments in front of the air conditioner peeling her blouse away from her skin in an effort to cool off. Once she was feeling a bit less wilted she made her way to find her husband. She frowned as she got closer to the door connecting the bedroom to the rest of the suite. Behind that door she could hear the loud moans and gasping cries of someone having sex. Her heart beating just a tad faster, she approached the door and slowly opened it, unaware that she was holding her breath. That breath came out in relief when she found Josh and Sam in the sitting room, sharing a pizza, some beer, and a porno movie. She watched for a few moments waiting for them to notice her in the doorway. When she realized they were too engrossed in the movie to pay any attention to her, she coughed lightly. 

"So, this is what you guys do when I'm not around." Her voice was laced with amusement but Josh and Sam both went into panic mode. 

"Oh, Jesus, oh, Christ, where's the clicker?!" Sam jumped up knocking his beer on the floor. 

"It was right here!" Josh began to scramble, pulling up the couch cushions. 

"Relax, guys, I've seen porn before. I'm not exactly a shrinking virgin. May I have one of those?" Abbey gestured toward the beers in the cooler. They nodded their okay and she made her way past them to get one. She was enjoying their discomfort; it amused her to toy with them. She nonchalantly flipped her beer cap off and turned to watch the movie while they were still frantically searching for the elusive TV remote. She grabbed a slice of pizza and tilted her head to the side as the couple on the screen moved into a very contorted position. 

"Now that IS intriguing," she said, in the analyzing tone she used as a professor. "Do you suppose that she does yoga?" 

Both Sam and Josh turned beet red, a deep flush that extended all the way to the tips of their ears. Abbey almost felt sorry for them, but not enough to quit toying with them. She was still making comments when Jed and Leo came out of the study. 

"Abbey?" It didn't take Jed long to move from shock to a broad smile at seeing his wife. "What are you doing here?" 

"Bonding with the guys over porn." 

"What?" Jed looked puzzled then turned to look at the TV and his embarrassed senior staffers. He shook his head with amused disdain. However, while Jed simply looked long suffering, it was quite evident that Leo was incredibly uncomfortable to be watching a porno movie with Abbey. He looked at the ceiling and the floor, anywhere but the TV or Abbey, but it was impossible to ignore the loud moans and filthy language coming from the small screen. 

Abbey's attention was now back on the movie. "So, boys, tell me, just what is it about watching two women going at it like that that turns men on? My women friends and I don't find it particularly appealing or arousing to watch two men have sex." 

The guys groaned at the question and Jed grinned at their embarrassment. Abbey was certainly having a good time. 

"Oh…wait a minute… there's the TV repairman, a threesome. NOW it's a party." She took a swig from her beer and they both watched Josh and Sam squirm. 

"I think you've embarrassed them enough, Abs." Jed grinned and took her arm, turning her to go back into their bedroom. 

"Oh come on," she protested. "It was just starting to get good." 

"Yeah, well you don't need to live vicariously through a movie." 

"No? You gonna put a tool belt on like the guy in that movie and come to fix my TV?" 

"I'm up for any kind of role playing you want, darlin'." He led her into the room but before shutting the door he turned to his staffers. 

"That movie better be on YOUR room tab," he informed them. "I'd hate for the public to think that MY taste runs to…what was tonight's feature?" 

"Hnspicypizgirls," Sam mumbled. 

"What?" Jed asked. "I didn't quite get that." 

" _Hot and Spicy Pizza Girls_." Josh was looking straight at Abbey. She was standing in the bedroom doorway innocently nibbling at her slice of pizza and all of the men's eyes were riveted on her. 

"Oh, for heaven's sake," she rolled her eyes, setting her piece of pizza down. "You guys need girlfriends." 

Cognizant of the male eyes on his wife, Jed hurriedly ushered her into their bedroom. 

"Okay, okay, I'm going, I'm going, quit pushing," she protested. 

"You're getting my staff all distracted." 

"Distracted? From what? Watching porn? THAT'S what you're worried about? So, what's the deal anyway? Is that how you guys spend your evenings when I'm not around to keep you in line?" 

"Not me," he said with mock horror. 

"Oh, of course not," she gave him a sarcastic smile. "Not my sainted husband, not the man who was once an altar boy, who thought he might want to be a priest, who…" 

"Who carries around his own porn." Jed reached into his suitcase and pulled out an old worn dog-eared photo. 

"Oh my GOD, you still carry that around?" 

"Everywhere I go, chere." 

"Let me see that." Abbey grabbed the photo from him and stared at the picture. It was a photo of her. She was kneeling on the tangled sheets of their bed at the farm completely naked. Her back was arched and she was thrusting her breasts toward the camera, her head tilted to one side, hair falling over her shoulder. She had taken the photo herself with the timer on the camera and had given it to Jed when he'd been elected to Congress. She remembered telling him that he could look at it when he got lonely and though she had never said it aloud, she had given it to him as a deterrent as well. She figured that if he were ever tempted to stray, it wouldn't hurt him to take a look at what he was going to lose as a consequence. She'd never asked him how he used the picture but she did know that he'd kept it with him all the time. She just didn't realize that after all these years he still kept it. 

"You haven't shown this to anyone, have you?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. 

"Yeah, Abbey, I love to flash pictures of my nude wife in front of my friends." 

"Don't get snippy, I'm just asking. I can't believe that you kept it." 

"It happens to be a favorite of mine." 

"I'll just bet it is. Well, I'm going to hop in the shower and then it's all yours while I get dressed." 

"I don't have anything scheduled tonight. We can just spend the evening here." 

"Oh no, we aren't. My biggest pet peeve with campaigning is that we don't get the time to soak up any of the atmosphere of the places that we visit. Neither of us has ever spent much time in New Orleans and we are going to immerse ourselves in some of local culture. I've been planning this birthday weekend, with help from the Service, of course, for quite a while now." 

"Weekend? You mean we get more than just tonight?" 

"Three nights and three days. I made a deal with the devil." 

"The devil?" He frowned. 

"Bruno." 

"What kind of deal did you have to make to get these three days?" 

"You'll find out soon enough." 

Abbey began unzipping her garment bag. "So, any requests on what I should wear tonight?" 

"Anything sexy, as long as you don't wear underwear." 

**** 

"Abbey, you're going to swelter in that get up." 

Abbey glanced over at her husband, completely aware that he was disappointed and unimpressed with what she had chosen to wear for the evening. The long black linen tunic was hardly the sexy outfit that he'd asked for. 

"Really? You think so?" 

"This isn't New England, Abs. I've spent the past week in this godforsaken heat. It NEVER cools off." 

"Oh, I don't think I'm going to have much of a problem staying cool." 

"Okay, but don't say that I didn't warn you." 

**** 

Jed had been right about the heat. Despite the fact that the sun had gone down, the wall of breath stealing oppressive heat hit them as soon as they departed their hotel. It was amazing how fast one started to perspire in that kind of humidity. Abbey pulled the tunic away from her skin, fanning herself to create a breeze that was absent in the dead night air. Even the smells were different here. She was a New England girl, born and raised on the sharp clean scent of pine trees, the crisp scents of bracing ocean or mountain air, the soft subtle scents of lilacs and beach roses. The air here was heavy, not bracing and fortifying. It carried on it the earthy, slightly swampy smell of the Mississippi River and the sultry fragrance of jasmine and honeysuckle and other flowers that Abbey could not name. 

But, the difference was not only in the smell of the place, it was in its very atmosphere. In New Orleans every night was a party and that raucous party atmosphere was prevalent everywhere. Abbey stared out the half open window of their unmarked car with fascination. What she had really wanted was a horse and carriage tour, but the Service had shot that request down as fast as she'd made it. It was just too dangerous. So, instead they had to settle for a police escort and an unmarked sedan, but anything was better than the huge motorcade that usually accompanied Jed. 

The French Quarter was filled with narrow streets and alleys and low brick buildings with lacy iron balconies and stucco courtyards. They passed the corner edge of Bourbon Street and got a hint of the unrestrained decadence of the area. On Bourbon Street any type of sexual depravity could be fulfilled. There were strip clubs, sex shops, transvestite shows, fortune telling parlors, and even a voodoo shop advertising for people to stop in and get their gris-gris there. Abbey grinned as she saw a sign flashing in a tattoo parlor. 

"Want to stop?" she asked Jed. 

"What?" He turned from gawking at a sex toy display in a store window to see what his wife was looking at. "You want another tattoo?" 

"Not me. YOU. I did it for you…" she cajoled. 

"What, you want me to get a heart on my arm that says 'Mother'?" 

"Hardly," she scowled. "I was thinking more along the lines of 'Property of Abbey Bartlet' written across your butt." 

"You want to own my butt." 

"I do own your butt, sweetcheeks. Don't you know that by now?" 

Jed grinned at her and they both continued to watch the revelry of Jackson Square pass by their windows. The street performers, saxophonists, and brass bands competed with the mimes and tarot card readers for attention at the edge of the park, and as they passed Preservation Hall they could hear the sounds of trumpets and trombones blaring through the open windows of the building. It was so alive. Abbey had never been in a city that reveled so completely in being so sinfully sexy. It was a long way from prim, proper, puritanical Boston. 

Before long the car pulled up in front of a small dark smoky little jazz and blues club. It was one of the few places not crowded with people. 

"Where is everyone?" Jed asked. 

"I rented the place for the night," Abbey told him as they entered the club. Their bodies were already thrumming to the beat of the soulful music coming from the main room. 

"Why'd you rent it?" he asked. 

"'Cause I didn't want the public seeing me dressed like this." Abbey slipped off the long tunic and Jed's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She stood before him in a tight plum colored mini skirt and black nearly thigh high leather boots with a four-inch heel. But it was her chest that his eyes were riveted to. She wore a completely sheer opaque black blouse and it was very clear that she was not wearing a bra. The plum colored bolero jacket that she wore over it had only one button and that one was at the waist. The wide-open lapels barely covered her nipples but revealed almost the entire swell of her breasts. Jed's breathing got a little faster. She had to know that the jacket was even more tantalizing because he couldn't keep his eyes off of her, waiting to see if the jacket would move just a tiny bit and reveal her rosy nipple. 

"Sexy enough for you, Mr. President?" she asked coquettishly. It was an outfit she never would have considered wearing in Boston or Washington, or even New York City. But, there was something about New Orleans, something about the carnality that oozed out of its very pores that made her comfortable in her wildly risqué attire. 

"You're lucky I don't throw you in the coat room and have my way with you," he growled. 

"There will be plenty of time for that later. You just need to show a little of that New England restraint." 

"Honey, all my restraint went right out the window the minute you took off that coat. You're lucky you didn't give me a heart attack. Christ, if Bruno or Leo had seen you dressed like this they never would have let you leave the hotel." 

"Why do you think I wore the tunic?" she smiled slyly. "You don't have to worry. We have the place to ourselves; neither the press or the public will see me dressed like this." 

They had an enjoyable evening at the club, listening to the interesting combination of artists performing renditions of Irma Thomas and Guitar Slim, of Louie Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton while they had drinks. An acoustic jazz ensemble played while they dined on traditional Cajun fare of hot and spicy jambalaya, gumbo, and blackened catfish. By the time they were sharing a dessert of bourbon pecan pie and coffee, soft piano music filtered over them. 

They had been content to sit and hold hands chatting and listening to the music, but when a lovely young African American woman took the stage to sing some of Billie Holiday's sultry hits, Jed stood and asked Abbey to dance. Abbey smiled and took his hand, but paused for a moment to unbutton her jacket, sliding it off to reveal the sheer backless tank blouse that left almost nothing to the imagination. Her shoulders and back were bare and he could see her nipples through the sheer fabric. He watched them harden not knowing if it was from his heated looks or the air conditioning. He watched her turn and head toward the dance floor her hips swaying in the tight short skirt. Her legs looked about a mile long in those boots. 

"My God, woman, you have a body that could raise the dead." He pulled her into his arms. 

"Not quite the June Cleaver image Bruno is shooting for, is it." 

"Cupcake, when you dress like this it astounds me that you are anyone's mother. That's what Bruno should be promoting. He should be showing ALL American women that you can be a career woman and a mother and STILL be sexy as hell." 

"You want to go to him with that proposal?" 

"Nah," he sighed. "He doesn't think that America is really ready for this side of you yet." 

"We'll just keep it our little secret for a while longer." She smiled up at him then laid her cheek on his chest, nuzzling into his throat where his shirt was unbuttoned. 

> _It's very clear_  
>  Our love is here to stay;   
> Not for a year   
> But ever and a day.   
> The radio and the telephone and the movies that we know   
> May just be passing fancies,   
> And in time may go.   
>    
> But, oh my dear,   
> Our love is here to stay;   
> Together we're going a long, long way.   
> In time the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble,   
> They're only made of clay,   
> But our love is here to stay.

Jed raised his knee sliding it between Abbey's thighs, pressing his own thigh into the juncture of her legs. He felt her fingers dig into his upper arms, felt her press against his leg. 

"Abbey, I wanna go back to the hotel." 

Abbey nodded, her eyes heavy lidded. "Let's go." 

Jed couldn't help but notice the effect that his wife's attire had on the normally stoic Secret Service agents. Eyes widened with surprise when she stepped into the outer hall of the club then followed her every move. 

"Ron, you can shut the door now," he told the head of his detail. 

Ron gave a start at having been caught staring into the sedan at the First Lady, who at the moment looked more like a Storyville call girl, albeit an elegant one, than a sedate First Lady. 

For the first time since he had taken office, Jed saw his normally unflappable agent blush deep red and loose his cool composure. 

"Uh…yes, sir. Where…ah…where too now?" 

"Back to the hotel, Ron." Sometimes it drove him nuts when men ogled his wife, but at other times, God help him, it filled him with a sort of possessive male 'look what I got' pride. He knew that he was envied, that men all over the world wanted to know what it would be like to sleep with his wife and it was a heady feeling to know that he was the only one who would ever know. 

**** 

More ogling occurred at the Place D'Armes when they returned to find Bruno and Leo and the senior staff waiting for them. As predicted Bruno went ballistic, only calming when he'd been informed that Abbey had not been in public dressed as she was. While Bruno let off steam, Leo's eyes made a slow appraisal up the length of Abbey's body. She looked like some kind of sex goddess and that certainly wasn't making it any easier not to want her. His wide, stunned eyes moved from her high heeled leather boots up long slender legs to the shapely hips her mini skirt clung to before finally coming to rest on her breasts in the nearly transparent top. But, this time he was not alone, in fact, the looks were so intense that Jed turned to throw Abbey's tunic over her shoulders to shield her. Once the outrage over her attire had been expressed and dismissed, Bruno informed Jed that they needed a few minutes. 

"Bruno," Abbey protested. "We had a deal. I'm supposed to have tonight." 

"You'll still have tonight. I promise. We just need ten minutes max. We have to go over a comment Ritchie made on the trail today so Sam can write a comeback and CJ can fire it off." 

"TEN minutes," Abbey said, firmly. "Or all deals are off." She turned and went into the bedroom with a sexy little huff. 

"No wonder he doesn't need porn," Josh observed with a whisper to Sam. "Mini skirts and stiletto boots…damn…" 

"I heard that Joshua," Jed flashed him a stern look. 

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." 

"And you," he turned to Bruno. "What kind of a deal did you make with my wife?" 

"All due respect, sir. I value my life. You'll have to ask her." 

There were times when even the President of the United States could feel totally impotent to the forces surrounding him and tonight it was his own wife who was wreaking havoc with his authority. 


	3. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Jed returned to his room in a slightly dejected mood. He figured that Abbey was going to be pissed about their evening being disturbed and for some reason he could picture fighting with her rather than fucking her and he wasn't sure how much more sexual tension his body could take. A quick glance around the room told him that his wife was probably in the bathroom. He began to undress, unbuttoning his shirt as he kicked his shoes off. Suddenly weary from the heat and the knowledge that an argument might soon ensue with his wife, he threw his pants into the corner and sank back into the chair by the bed. 

"Don't stop. Keep undressing." 

Jed looked up to see Abbey come in from the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. She had changed while he was gone and now she was wearing a sheer black lace teddy that clung to her gentle curves, soft black hose and a garter belt, and damned if she wasn't still wearing those sexy black boots. Her fiery hair, made even curlier by the humidity, bounced at her shoulders as she moved toward him. She left the French doors open to allow both the slight river breeze and the music from Jackson Square to envelop them both in a sensual hold. 

God, how he wanted her. He wanted her with every atom of his being. The pressure in his groin was almost unbearable; he pulsed with the need to bury himself inside of her. 

Abbey began to approach her husband. Jed was leaning back in his chair, his shirt unbuttoned, his blue eyes lazy with lust and a bit too much bourbon. Sweat was trickling down his neck down to his chest and Abbey began to ache between her thighs. She wanted to climb right up on top of him, straddle his thighs and take him deep within her right there. But, that wasn't how things were going to go. She'd been planning this for far too long to let her lust get the better of her. She placed a hand on each arm of his chair leaning forward until her mouth was a mere inch from his. The scent of her floral perfume drifted over him and he held his breath with anticipation of her next move. 

"Happy Birthday, Mr. President," she breathed huskily, and before he could respond, her lips were on his, tantalizing and teasing him. He'd thought she'd be pissed, but that was one of the most exciting things about Abbey. He never really knew what to expect from his volatile, unpredictable little wife. She was an expert at lighting a match to his temper and equally expert at blowing out the fire. It made life exciting and unpredictable and never, ever boring. 

While Abbey's mouth expertly worked on his, her tongue sliding passed his lips to explore the bourbon flavored depths of his mouth, her hands pushed his shirt further apart and she slid her fingers over the soft crinkly hair that covered his warm chest. She felt his heart begin to beat harder as she slid her thumbs back and forth over his flat nipples until they were pebble hard. 

Jed protested when her lips left his and she sat back on her heels, her green eyes gone all slumberous and soft with passion. He ran a thumb over her kiss swollen lower lip and tried to pull her back for more. Instead, Abbey bent her head, her soft hair fanning over his chest. She pressed her lips to his neck and his chest, kissing, licking, and nibbling her way to the nipples she had made so hard. Jed groaned loudly when she pulled one of those nipples into her mouth and began sucking at it, her teeth nipping lightly. 

"Jesus…Abbey," he moaned, grabbing fistfuls of her soft hair and holding her in place. 

"What's the matter, Jed?" she asked innocently. "Are you getting hard?" 

"GETTING hard? Christ, my balls have been blue for weeks." 

She gazed down between his thighs to see that his penis was indeed hard and jutting out through the slit in his boxers. "Well, as a doctor I certainly can't allow that condition to continue." She curled her warm hand around him and began to gently stroke the satiny hardness while her mouth continued to kiss and tease his stomach, her tongue dipping into his navel in an imitation of the way that he made love to her, in and out and swirling around. 

"Abbey, dammit, you're killing me here." He lifted his rear from the chair and together they removed his boxers so that all the clothing that remained was his wide open dress shirt. 

With her tongue she traced the thin line of hair that ran from his navel to where it flared out at his groin, stopping momentarily to rub her cheek against the musky warmth there. With a sigh of pure female satisfaction, she reveled in his maleness. 

"Abbey…PLEASE," Jed begged. 

She smiled wickedly up at him as she ran a fingernail lightly up his quivering shaft. She knew exactly what he wanted. She bent her head, her hair now tickling his thighs and she kissed the glistening tip of him. Jed's thighs went rigid and he arched up to her mouth. Abbey placed a hand at his base, not quite ready to give him everything that he wanted. Instead, she began to run her tongue from his base to his tip pausing every so often to take the head between her lips and suckle gently. She felt Jed's hands tighten in her hair, pulling it away from her face so that he could watch what she was doing. She gazed up at him from between his thighs and, keeping eye contact for as long as she could, she slid the smooth length of him into her mouth, surprised as always that she could do so. Despite the hundreds of times that she had gone down on her husband, it never failed to amaze her that she could take him all in. For Jed, there was nothing more erotic than watching his wife take his penis into her mouth. She was in a rhythm now, her head slowly rising and falling, feeling that sense of power as Jed groaned and thrust himself up at her, urging her to pick up the speed to where he wanted it. She loved doing this for him, loved the feel of him in her mouth, the combination of smooth soft skin over such rigid hardness and she loved what it did to him, his gasps and moans. His hands were still clenched in her hair and as his breath began to come in more ragged gasps she felt he would rip it out of her scalp. She felt the quivering pulsation beneath the smooth hardness, felt his thighs and belly tighten and the harder tug on her hair that preceded his climax. 

Abbey sat back on her heels, watching her husband's chest rise and fall, the sweat trickling down his forehead. 

"Foul," he breathed heavily. 

"Foul?" 

"Yeah, you went too far. I wanted do that inside of you." 

"Oh, you'll get your chance." She wiped the back of her hand across her lips and got her feet, then held her hand out to him. 

"I don't think I can move," he protested. 

Abbey nodded and stood back from him. "God, it's so HOT in here." 

Jed watched with fascination as she lifted her hair up off her shoulders to catch the slight breeze that made its way through the Quarter from the river, bringing with it every earthy, sensual scent it had picked up along the way. 

"My clothes are just STICKING to me." Knowing that Jed's eyes were burning into her, Abbey performed a slow provocative strip tease to the seductive strains of a lone saxophonist playing down in the square. She slid her teddy off inch by inch until she finally stood before him nude, save for the garter and stockings and the boots. She bent to unzip the boots, giving Jed a good view of that world class ass that he loved so much. 

"No, don't." 

Abbey glanced up. "What?" 

"Don't take em' off. I wanna love you with them on." He was on his feet now. 

"Ah, a little kinky tonight, Mr. President. You're starting to show signs of life." She flashed him a sexy siren smile. "Not quite so tired anymore?" 

"I could never be tired with you standing in front of me wearing nothing but a garter belt and stockings." 

"I know my man pretty well, don't I?" She glided over to him, running her hands over his pectorals and up over his shoulders. "I love the way that you look at me." 

"Oh yeah, and how is that?" He reached out a hand to run over the soft curve of her hip. 

"Your eyes get all glittery and dangerous, and it's like you want to devour me or something." 

"I DO want to devour you." He grabbed her rear and pulled her up close so that he could kiss her. This time it wasn't coffee that he tasted on her tongue; it was the taste of him. 

Somehow they made their way to the bed and once they were there, they began jockeying for position. 

"Hey, it's my turn to take care of you," Jed protested, as Abbey flipped him over onto his back and kneeled astride his hips, the cool leather of her boots a tantalizing contrast to all the softness against his thighs. 

"Oh, no, Mr. President. Tonight is all about you; it's your birthday. Don't worry, somehow I think I'm going to enjoy this just as much as you will." She bent forward to kiss him again, this time allowing her nipples to rub against the light furring on his chest, feeling the electrical impulses as they hardened all the way from her breasts to the spot between her legs that had begun to pulse for him. 

She was damp for him; Jed could feel the wet warmth on his lower belly where she squirmed against him, needing the release that she'd given him earlier. He reached his hands between their bodies sliding a finger into her warm depths, stroking her clitoris until her soft cries became a long low moan of pleasure. That was all it took Jed to bring him back to a full-fledged arousal. Abbey felt him pressing up against the back of her thighs and with a lazy, knowing grin, she lifted herself slightly from his body and edged her way back so she could straddle his thighs. She reached a hand down and pulled his firm penis back from his belly, lowering herself on to him until just his tip had entered her. Jed's fingers dug into her hips and it was all he could do not to pull her down hard on to him. Instead he watched her, her eyes closed, her head thrown back as she slowly sank down on him, impaling herself to his hilt. 

"Oh…Jeeeed…" the soft groan held wealth of emotion in it. It had been so long since they had been joined as one, so long since they had partaken in the pleasure and passion in each other's bodies. 

Jed's hips began to thrust up at her, but Abbey stayed still, reveling in the deep fullness of him. She felt his hands caress her bare skin, up and down the curves of her hips, over her belly, inching closer but not close enough for what she needed. Her breasts ached for his touch, for his mouth, but he hadn't touched her there, not when they had danced, not when he had kissed her, and not now. She lifted her arms, holding her hair up off her shoulders and arching her back, hoping to entice him. Instead he groaned, closing his eyes against the pagan goddess above him and gripped the sheets. 

"Oh for crying out loud, Jed," she bit out with frustration. "Just touch them." She grabbed at his hands and pulled them to her breasts, placing one on each one. 

"Is it okay? I tried not to tell you how perfect you are." Oh damn did she feel good, he thought as he palmed her soft heavy breasts. It had been so hard not to touch her. 

Abbey smiled down tenderly at him, watching the almost reverent way that he caressed her, sliding his thumbs over her nipples with just the touch that she needed. "It's okay to like them, Jed. I was just a little…you know…freaked out before…" Abbey's breath was starting to get more ragged now and she leaned slightly forward to brace her hands on Jed's shoulders so she could raise and lower her hips. She did it slowly, loving the aching stretch as he penetrated and feeling bereft when he left her. Jed's fingers gripped her hips. 

"Faster, Abbey," he groaned. "Oh, God…faster." He moved his hands down to where their bodies were joined knowing the sure-fire way to set his wife ablaze. He began to stroke her, soft circular motions that caused her to whimper and cry out. Finally she leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his changing the angle of his penetration so that he could thrust up into her with abandon. Jed immediately grabbed her rear pulling her to him, his hips thrusting up at her like pistons. Abbey's body began to tense, her breath coming in soft crying gasps. 

"Jeeeeeeddddd…."Her long last drawn out cry ended with her body arching back in orgasm, her thighs tightening around his waist, her teeth digging into his collarbone. The muscles deep inside her began to contract around him, squeezing him with exquisite torture until he finally lost it, the cry of her name muffled into her hair as his semen began pumping into her in agonizingly, uncontrollable spurts. 

Abbey lay sprawled out over Jed's chest, feeling as limp as a rag doll. 

"We need to do this more often," she murmured against his shoulder. "This every couple of months just doesn't cut it." 

"Tell me about it. I guess we'll need to try to work out our campaign schedules a little better. Plan a few fuck dates." 

"I prefer to think of them as trysts or as we say in the White House – 'barbecues'." Abbey eased herself off of Jed's body, feeling empty as his fullness slid from her body. It was always that way when the lovemaking was over and one reason she felt the need to stay connected to him. 

"Whatever word you use, it's the same thing." He lifted his arm so that Abbey could snuggle up to his side and for the next few minutes the two of them went over their schedules like illicit lovers planning clandestine affairs. 

**** 

Later in the night, a heavy gust of wind blew through the open French doors and thunder rumbled in the distance. Jed awoke but didn't bother to get up and shut the door, the cooler breeze felt good. Abbey didn't completely awaken, she just shivered, blinked her eyes a couple of times at him then sleepily rolled closer to him, her knee rising up over his thighs, her arm thrown carelessly over his chest, her face pressed up under his arm. Jed smiled running his fingers through the silky strands of her hair that lay over his chest. He loved that his wife was a cuddler and that even when she was asleep she was reaching out for him. 

Two more days, he thought to himself and a broad smile crossed his face. They still had two more days. He couldn't imagine what else his wife might have planned for them. 


	4. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Jed awoke slowly, his own internal clock at work. It didn't usually work that way for him. He was a heavy sleeper and had always required an alarm, or since he'd become President, a wake up call. But, since they had left the French doors open all night, the early morning sun had invaded the room and had awakened him with a gentle nudge. For the first time in a long time, he had awakened feeling relaxed and content, a genuine sense of well being steeped into his very bones. He grinned as he remembered the night before and just why he was feeling so damn good. He wondered for just a moment if last night had all been a dream. He had been having some wickedly erotic ones for weeks now, but none of those dreams had even come close to the sensory overload he had just experienced the night before. 

No, it hadn't been a dream. He felt the warmth of the person who had created that sense of well being lying sprawled over his abdomen, could feel the moistness of her breath against his nipple. He smiled softly and began twirling a soft strand of copper hair around his index finger as he listened to her breathe. She'd given him one hell of a birthday present the night before. His eyes fell to the open French doors remembering how she had glided in off the balcony looking naughty and sexy in black lace and garters. What a lucky bastard he was to be married to a woman who was as much mistress as she was wife – a woman who could fulfill every erotic dream and fantasy he'd ever had. 

He lifted her hair back from her face and ran a tender finger over the soft freckles on her nose. She was so wiped out she didn't even stir. In the early morning sun the tempting, sophisticated seductress was gone and in her place was the sweet, sexy, rumpled woman who had been able to make his heart soar since he was twenty-one years old. His hand trailed from stroking her lovely face to run lightly over the swell of her milky white breast, noticing that the bruising was completely gone. He'd been so afraid to show much interest in them the night before. Abbey's words had haunted him "You say it all the time, Jed. 'You're perfect…so perfect.' Well what's going to happen when I'm not so PERFECT anymore?" 

"I don't need you to be perfect, Abbey," he whispered, tears stinging his eyes as his thumb moved gently around the areola of her rose colored nipple. "I just need YOU." 

Abbey sighed in her sleep; her hand unconsciously sliding down to the part of his anatomy that was already partially aroused. He thought for a moment about waking her up for a little morning – what was the word she liked? Tryst. A little morning tryst, but his conscience got the better of him. Between jet lag and their lovemaking deep into the night, she had to be exhausted. 

He sighed and gently removed her hand before his id took over from the better intentions of his ego. He eased himself away from her body and slid out of bed. 

"Mmmm…Jed?" Abbey murmured sleepily, waking up at the loss of his body. 

"Ssh…" He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Go back to sleep, babe. I'll be right back." 

She smiled, not opening her eyes and he watched her sensuously curl herself around a pillow, her nude body tangled up in the sheets, her disheveled auburn hair so bright against her creamy skin and the white sheets, and he cursed himself for being a fool. 

"I know what you're thinking." He looked down at his erection. "I'm NOT an idiot. I'm trying to be a gentleman. Yes, I know that you have needs and that there is a luscious nude woman in that bed, but don't worry, I have a plan. You'll still get your fun. You just need to be patient." Jed sighed, willing his erection to subside but Old Hickory was not cooperating with him. "Look, we aren't going to jump her. We're going to let her sleep so just get over yourself." He padded his way over the bathroom and turned the cold water on, not relishing the idea of another cold shower. He winced before he even stepped under the water, already aching from the cold and he looked down shaking his head with dismay at his barely deflated penis. "Don't blame me. You brought this all on yourself." 

**** 

"Morning, Mr. President," Charlie grinned, seeing the President in jeans and a dark blue golf shirt. He was coming down the hall with a bounce in his step that had missing for a very long time. 

"Morning, Charlie," he beamed, fairly radiating good cheer. "Isn't it a beautiful morning?" 

"It certainly is, sir. I take it you had a good night then." Charlie fought to keep his grin from widening. 

"How far is your tongue in your cheek, Charles?" 

"Pretty far, sir." The smile couldn't be restrained any longer. 

His good mood overflowing, Jed had the urge to reach out and rumple Charlie's hair like he did his children's. "You shouldn't be inside on a day like this, Charlie. It's too beautiful. Come on, follow me." Much to Charlie's amusement, the President began to sing as he made his way down the hall. 

> _"Oh, what a beautiful mornin'_  
>  Oh, what a beautiful day   
> I got a beautiful feelin'   
> Ev'rything's goin' my way."

Holding her bathrobe tight to her neck, CJ opened the door to her room, gazing out into the hall with sleepy eyes. "Sir, isn't it a little early for Rodgers and Hammerstein?" she asked. 

"Get your butt out of bed, CJ. It's a glorious day." He continued to sing, causing CJ to smile. His good mood was truly infectious. 

> _"All the sounds of the earth are like music_  
>  All the sounds of the earth are like music   
> The breeze is so busy it don't miss a tree   
> And a ol' weepin' willer is laughin' at me."

"What the hell is going on out here?" Leo crabbily opened his door, followed by the rest of the senior staff in various stages of undress. 

"The President's having a good morning," Charlie informed them. Jed looked their way and grinned, then continued on his way down the hall. 

> _"Oh, what a beautiful mornin'_  
>  Oh, what a beautiful day   
> I got a beautiful feelin'   
> Ev'rything's goin' my way   
> Oh, what a beautiful day."

All eyes turned toward the closed doors of the presidential suite. 

"What the hell went on in there last night?" Sam shook his head. 

"You gotta ask?" Bruno lifted an eyebrow. 

"Abbey was right," Josh said staring straight at those closed doors. "We really do need to get laid." 

"I believe she told you to get girlfriends," Leo scowled. "Not to get laid." He alone had not been affected positively by the President's good humor and when he shut his door, just a little harder than normal they all stared uneasily at it. 

"He's still not over her," Josh sighed. 

"Over who?" Bruno looked puzzled. 

"You don't want to know," Sam said, resignation in his voice. "You REALLY don't want to know." 

**** 

Abbey snuggled into the pillow, her eyes opening and closing as she slowly woke to a room filled with sunshine. She stretched and smiled sleepily her body still languid and relaxed from Jed's lovemaking. As he had done earlier, she wondered for just a moment if it might have all been a dream, but the wetness that he had left between her thighs in climax attested to the fact that it hadn't been a dream at all. 

Just thinking about the previous night caused her to tingle in all the places he had touched. She was slightly perturbed to find that he had left their bed so early. She wouldn't have minded another round before they dressed. As her hand moved over his pillow, she felt a piece of paper. Frowning, she picked it up. It was a short note, brief and exactly to the point. "STAY NAKED". He had written it in large dark letters, knowing she wouldn't have her glasses on. 

Hmmm…wasn't it just like her husband to think that he could start calling the shots all of the sudden. Last night, she had been the one in control. SHE had been the one to initiate their lovemaking, their positions. She'd had the power over him. But all along she had known that it was only because he was allowing her to do so. Had he chosen to fight for the power, a sexual battle would have ensued, something that happened quite frequently with them, and when it did, no matter who won the battle they both ended up the victors. 

Still, she wasn't going to let him get away with thinking that he could start bossing her around simply because she'd been willing to play his sex slave the night before. Nope, she was going to keep the upper hand here. She got to her feet and slipped on a very short red silk robe before she made her way to their balcony. 

It was another scorching day, the air already hot and wet with humidity. No early morning sweatshirts needed here. She leaned out over the iron rail, inhaling the scent of the jasmine and bougainvillea that grew profusely in the courtyard below. She allowed the utter peace of the moment to take her over, listening to the soothing sounds of the gurgling water from the fountain by the pool, and the birds chirping. New Orleans was not quite awake yet at this early morning hour. She assumed everyone was sleeping in after the excesses of the night before. A fine sheen of perspiration already touched her skin and she opened the top of her robe trying to catch the hint of a breeze. 

"Good morning, Mrs. Bartlet." It was Ron's voice warning her that there were agents present. 

Abbey closed her robe quickly, clutching it tightly at her breasts with surprise and looked down into the courtyard below the balcony. Sure enough there were agents milling about at the periphery, several of which were looking up at her. She should have known that she was not alone. She was never alone anymore. It surprised her that she was taking this so well, that she was merely resigned to the fact that there had been agents posted out below their balcony last night and that the doors to their room had been left open. After four years was she finally getting used to the fact that there were pretty much no parts of her life, especially not her sex life, that were private anymore? 

"Ron, do you know where my husband went?" she called down to him. 

"He went to get some breakfast. He knew you'd be tired, so he didn't want to wake you." 

Abbey nodded trying to be nonchalant but a pink flush rose in her cheeks. Yes, she was satiated and tired, but did the whole world have to know? Her discomfort grew as she realized that she was standing in broad daylight completely naked save for a pair of skimpy lace panties and the shorty little robe that the agents below could probably look up. With one last gaze around the courtyard, Abbey turned and re-entered the bedroom just as the phone started to ring. 

**** 

Jed entered the room carrying bags of beignets from the Café du Monde, hot steamy chicory rich coffee, and on a whim a handful of wildflowers he'd picked himself from the courtyard knowing that nobody would scold the President of the United States for doing so. He was dismayed to find that not only was his wife not still naked in bed, she was on the telephone. 

Abbey smiled at him as he entered the room, holding up a finger to indicate that she would only be a minute. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise as Jed set the food down with a scowl and pulled his shirt up over his head. She tried to focus on her conversation but her eyes were riveted on her husband as he unbuttoned his jeans and did away with them. She turned her back to him when she noticed the bulge growing in his boxers. It seemed almost sacrilegious to be speaking to the Archbishop of St. Louis while her husband stripped down to reveal his hard on. 

She was speaking softly when she felt his hands on her shoulders causing her to gasp and nearly drop the receiver. 

"No…No, Your GRACE," she emphasized for Jed. "I'm fine I just stubbed my toe." 

Jed chuckled softly. "You're lying to a priest, Abbey," he whispered against her neck. 

Abbey tried to ignore him but that wasn't easy as she watched his hands slide down to part her robe and slip inside to cup and massage her breasts. She pushed at those hands trying to stop him, trying to squirm away from him, but when he pinched her nipples between a thumb and forefinger her body gave up the struggle for a moment and she leaned back against his warm chest. She was silent for a few long moments. 

"Yes…oh yes, your Grace… I'm still here…sorry…I got…distracted for a moment." She could swear that she felt Jed's smile against the tender curve where her neck met her shoulder, in the spot where he was now sucking lightly. 

She tried to turn to him. "Don't…leave a mark," she whispered urgently. "I want to wear my hair up…No, I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't speaking to you." She turned and glared at Jed just daring him to laugh. She could see the mirth dancing in his blue eyes and she watched with wide eyes as his hands moved from her breasts down over her belly heading right for the juncture of her thighs. 

"No!" she said quickly, trying to stop his fingers from where they were delving under the lace of her panties. "No… I'm sorry, Your Grace…I didn't mean I wouldn't mention abstinence if I'm questioned about abortion. Of course, the President and I believe very firmly in abstinence." 

"Really, Abbey?" Jed murmured, as he began running his tongue down her spine, feeling her shiver with sensation and need. "Do you really believe in abstinence?" His lips settled on the base of her spine and began lavishing attention on her tattoo. As his tongue began tracing the intricate lines of the small Celtic knot, he slid his hand inside of her panties, feeling how creamy and swollen she was for him, nearly groaning at the knowledge that some of that was his semen from the night before. Abbey gripped his wrist tightly trying to inhibit his invasion. 

"Oh…mmm…yes…yes…yes…I agree." Abbey didn't even know what she was agreeing to anymore, her words were meant for Jed and Jed only. It was getting harder and harder to concentrate as he began to press his fingers against her clitoris stroking her lightly, but still she tried. 

He was going to have to give her an A+ for effort, Jed thought with a smile, but he was nothing if not resourceful and he had the advantage of knowing exactly how to get his wife off the phone. He teased the opening to her body circling it over and over until finally slipping his finger deep inside her. He felt Abbey's whole body quiver and writhe against his probing digit, felt her loosen her grip on his wrist to allow him all the access that he needed. 

Abbey bit her lip hard to keep from groaning. Her legs were weak and Jed was easing her down to the floor. She knew that it was time to surrender this battle 

"I'm sorry, sir, something's come up. I have to call you back." Not waiting for the Archbishop's response, she hit the off button on the phone and threw it toward the couch. 

Before she knew it she was on her back, her thighs spread wide and Jed was teasing her, just barely sliding the tip of his penis into her and then withdrawing. 

"You do know that was the Archbishop of St. Louis on the phone, don't you?" she sighed. 

"I don't care if it was the Pope himself. I told you to… stay naked." He bit down on his bottom lip, fighting the urge to slide all the way inside. 

"Since when…do I…take orders…from you?" Abbey's breath was starting to come in soft little pants and she was thrusting her hips up at him trying to get him to penetrate her. 

"The rest…of the world does…When are you…going to…fall in line?" 

"When pigs fly…Jesus CHRIST, Jed, if you pull out of me one more time I'm going to KILL you!" Abbey grabbed at his rear pulling him down into her just as she raised her hips. Jed groaned deeply as he slid all the way into the warm tight depths of her body and the two began to move in the age old rhythm they had perfected so many years ago. 

Down in the courtyard below agents continued to mill about, their eyes turning every so often to the Presidential balcony. It was quiet enough for the closest agents to hear the earthy sounds of lovemaking, but before long almost every agent could hear the cries coming from the room. 

The President, lower, deeper, as if he were in agony: "Oh yeah…oh yeah…oh yeah… oh yeah…." 

And the First Lady, sharper, higher, whimpering cries as if she were being tortured: "Oh God…Oh God…Oh God…. Oh Gaaaawwwwdddd." 

When all was finally quiet one of his agents turned to Ron. "I guess the First Lady found her husband," he smirked. 

"It would appear so," Ron said stoically. He wished that they had shut the doors, but, after seeing how Abbey had looked that morning in the tiny silk robe, he couldn't blame the President for opting for a little dessert before breakfast. He moved away to make another sweep of the perimeter and overheard two of his agents. 

"I tell ya, I wouldn't mind being the President right about now. Sounds like things got pretty hot in there." 

"Yeah, the First Lady is a real babe. Did you see her out there on the balcony this morning in that short silky thing with her hair all curly and messed up? Man, does she have great legs." 

"She is a looker. The President's a lucky man." 

"And he knows it. At least with him we know it's the First Lady that he's messing around with. Not like Hoynes." 

Both men laughed at the absurdity of that comment. They'd both watched the Vice President enter hotel rooms with many women that were not his wife, and it was common knowledge among the Service that he had a mistress in Georgetown. Thankfully, they didn't have to worry about that nonsense with the President. 

"That old hound will sleep with anyone." 

"Anyone but Mrs. Hoynes." 

"Excuse me, but don't you two have anything better to be doing right now than gossiping like a couple of _National Enquirer_ reporters." 

"Yes, sir." They jumped to attention. "Sorry, sir." They started to move on. 

"Hey," Ron called out. "Let's make sure to keep this gossip to ourselves. Our jobs are to protect these people not comment on or judge their personal lives." 

"Yes, sir." 

**** 

They ate breakfast in bed in the nude, feeding each other the small pieces of fried dough with powdered sugar, known as beignets, and sipping coffee that had cooled to lukewarm while they had been enjoying themselves on the carpet. When they were finished and had showered and dressed, they left the hotel to stroll hand in hand down the streets of the French Quarter. In the daytime, it was easier to see the charm of the place rather than the seamy decadence the night brought. The mixture of French, Spanish and Caribbean influences gave it a character all of its own. The air was still hot and steamy and their clothes stuck to their bodies, but both were dressed better for it today. Abbey wore a simple floral tank styled dress that just reached her knees. Her tanned legs were bare and she wore a pair of sandals. She wore her hair up off her neck and had tucked one of the flowers Jed had brought her that morning into the twist. Jed wore a pair of khaki shorts and the deep blue golf shirt he had been wearing in the morning. The air was still redolent with the smell of brewing coffee and in the distance they could hear the riverboat calliope music. 

It was a Secret Service nightmare to have them out wandering around. It didn't happen often, but when it did, everyone was tense and on guard. The saving grace of the situation was that with the heat being so stifling, the end of August was not a big tourist time, and the tourists who were there didn't generally come out until much later. The First Couple did create a stir, but it could have been so much worse. 

"Okay, here we are. First stop on my list." Abbey stopped in front of a boutique. 

"We're not shopping for clothes or shoes right?" Jed asked. He was not a shopper, unless it was for books or antique things and he knew Abbey could spend hours just shopping for shoes alone. 

"Okay, if you don't want to stop, we won't." She started to tug him along. He looked up just as they were passing the storefront that was advertising all kinds of different Victorian corsets in the window. His wide eyes gazed further up at the name and took in the name of the establishment. "Trashy Diva's". He HAD to like a store with a name like that. 


	5. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"It's okay," he assured her. "We can go in." 

"No, I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do. You said you didn't want to shop for clothes." 

"I didn't say I wouldn't shop for UNDER clothes. You know that's one of my favorite things to do. Let's go." He took her arm and almost yanked her into the store so that Abbey was laughing by the time they made it inside. In actuality the name of the store was deceiving, it was not the bondage-style, G-string kind of place one might expect to find in the quarter. Diva's specialized in Victorian style corsets, sexy lingerie and nightclothes, as well as dresses from the Victorian era to modern day, along with shoes and jewelry. Excited, but not surprised by the presidential visit, as at the First Lady's request the Service had been in to scope out her boutique the previous day, Evangeline Brasseur came forward with an extended hand to introduce herself. 

"Evangeline," Jed nodded. Evie knew the President would make a comment about the Longfellow poem she had been named for. Most people did. She did not expect him to know the poem by heart. 

> _"Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient,_  
>  Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion,   
> List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest;   
> List to a Tale of Love in Acadie, home of the happy."

"You'll have to excuse my husband," Abbey tugged at his arm knowing he would recite the entire poem if she didn't step in. "He likes to show off at times." 

"I'm impressed," Evie smiled. "Please feel free to browse and if I can help you with anything just ask. I've locked the doors behind you so you have complete privacy." She gave a quick little knowing wink to Abbey who returned it with a grateful woman to woman smile. No woman wanted the whole world knowing what she liked to wear under her clothes. 

Like a kid in a candy store, Jed, of course, immediately headed for the corsets and negligees, while Abbey began to peruse through the dresses. She had barely started to pull a few out for a second look when he came back to her. 

"What about this one?" He lifted a tiny corset for her examination. 

"Uh, would you like me to be able to breathe?" She eyed it skeptically. 

"Do you have to?" he asked, with a boyish sigh of disappointment. 

"What do you think about this dress?" She ignored his asinine comment and turned to him with a simple black cocktail dress that reminded him of Audrey Hepburn in _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ – slim fitting, low cut, and bared shoulders. He nodded his approval, but his mind was obviously elsewhere and he went back to his lingerie. He had only been gone for few minutes before he returned with another sexy corset. 

"How do you like this one?" 

"You're like a dog with a bone. You aren't going to stop until I agree to buy one, are you?" 

"You don't like them?" 

Abbey rolled her eyes, swearing her husband was about to start pouting. "I like them just fine, but it's just too darn hot down here to play Scarlett O'Hara." 

"How about if I buy it for you now and you wear it for me under your Inaugural ball gown? It'll be damn cold by then." 

Abbey flashed him a saucy smile. "You're getting a little cocky, aren't you, Mr. President? You haven't won anything yet." 

"Yeah, well with this as incentive…" He dangled the garment in front of her. "I'll be sure to try even harder." 

Abbey laughed; she loved that Jed was feeling so optimistic about the election. "Okay, fine," she relented. "But that means that you'll have to wear the black silk boxers that I bought for you. You know, the ones that you said were for 'pansies'." 

"Deal." He stuck his hand out. 

By the time they had finished, they had quite a pile of purchases. Along with his corset, Jed had chosen for her a silk charmeuse and lace negligee in deep wine red that was lined in black lace. Abbey had decided on the China silk black dress, a 1920's cream colored flapper style dress that would be perfect for the Halloween Ball at the Romanian embassy, and a crimson red Jean Harlow dress that gathered at the bust and fell to cling to her every curve. She had grabbed the Harlow dress on a whim, her lips curving in an evil little smile when she thought of how much she would enjoy wearing it to the next Senators' wives tea. The more miffed that those old biddies got about her clothing, the more daring she decided to be. She had also purchased a pair of Adriana Caras slip on slingbacks to wear with the black dress and large gold turn of the century hair clips for Elizabeth, Annie, Ellie, Zoey and CJ. 

Rather than exiting with all of their parcels, Evie had agreed to send them privately to the Place D'Armes and Abbey and Jed were able to continue on unencumbered. 

At Johnny Donnels' gallery they purchased a couple of beautiful original photos of the "Vieux Carre" as the French Quarter was also known, and at the "Louisiana Music Factory" Jed browsed for CDs by Duke Wellington, Billie Holiday, B.B King and Louis Armstrong, while Abbey checked out the Cajun section, pulling out a couple of Beausoleil CDs. As at Diva's, their purchases were charged and sent to their hotel. 

As they continued along down Pirates Alley, they bought a bag of pralines and munched on the sweet candy as they made their way to the "Faulkner House Bookstore", named so because William Faulkner had lived and written in that exact location. While Jed surveyed the great selection of local and southern authors, purchasing an original signed copy of Faulkner's literary masterpiece, _The Sound and the Fury_ , Abbey went to the back of the store hoping to find the perfect gift for Jed. She was not disappointed; in fact she was positively delighted with her find and couldn't wait to give it to him at the small party she had planned for the following night. After "Faulkner House" they strolled over to the "Maple Street Bookstore". Lunch was almost upon them and the smell of frying onions had joined the rich smell of coffee and bacon that had accompanied them all morning. 

The owner of "Maple Street", Rhonda Kellogg Faust, was known by name to both Abbey and Jed for she was well known advocate for the antiracism group ERACE. She was also a talker, a veritable font of information about the history of New Orleans. After chatting with her for a while, they made their way toward the back where there was a huge children's bookstore. On the way to the back Abbey was stopped by a small display of books entitled _Your Leo_. It was on the end of a section dealing with Horoscopes and Zodiac signs. She immediately stopped and picked it up. 

"Ah, come on, Abbey, you don't believe in that mumbo jumbo crap, do you?" Jed was forced to stop behind her in the narrow aisle. 

"I dunno, Jed. This sounds an awful lot like you. Listen to this. _'The Leo is the most dominant, extrovert of all the zodiacal characters. In grandeur of manner, splendor of bearing, and magnanimity of personality, they are the monarchs among humans as the lion is the king of beasts. Family is extremely important to the Leo. They love children as they themselves have a childlike kind of charm. They are ambitious, courageous, and dominant. Strong willed, positive, and self-confident. Born leaders they are most effective when in a position of command, their personal magnetism and innate courtesy of mind bringing out the best of loyalty from subordinates. Leonians think and act bigger than others would normally dare, the ambitiousness of their schemes and idealism sometimes daunt their followers although their practical hardheadedness and ability to go straight to the heart of any problem reassures those who depend on them. Leonians thrive on adversity. On the whole they are powers for good, for they are strongly idealistic, humane and beneficent. They have a powerful intelligence and are of a broad philosophical, sometimes religious, turn of mind. Those who are devout may become very obstinate in upholding traditional beliefs that others may regard as out-of-date. In professional life they do well at any vocation where there is room at the top. As politicians they are content with nothing less than the most powerful positions in government…_ '" She paused for a moment looking up at him with a lifted brow. "I guess I should have read this before I okayed your decision to run for the State Senate. I had no idea that it was simply being born under this sign that made you unable to stop." 

Jed smirked at her. "Continue on." 

"Let's see. _'In your relationships with others you are open, sincere, genuine and trusting. Outgoing, spontaneously warm hearted, never lacking in kindliness, Leos are more disillusioned than the average if let down by those they trust. They have a strong sex drive and their relationships with the opposite sex are often intensely sexual. Beware, if a Leo does not connect with a person that shares his or her powerful sex drive, their love of pleasure may induce them to stray, however, upon finding the right passionate match they will be faithful for life.'_ " 

"Well, that's me all right," he grinned. "I sound like the perfect guy." 

"I thought you didn't believe in this mumbo jumbo." 

"You've convinced me. It's me to a tee." 

"Before you go getting all full of yourself, as Leo's are inclined to do. Let's see about these negative Leo traits as well. Arrogance, pride, stubbornness, bragging, dominating, demanding of loved ones, hastiness of temper…hmmm… I guess this really does sound like you." 

Jed narrowed his eyes at her and moved into the aisle to grab a small book and read her the title, " _Your Aries Girl_. Let's see what we can find out about you, shall we?" He started to read from the book. " _'Your Aries girl is adventurous and energetic, independent and courageous, enthusiastic and confident, dynamic and quick witted. She may have a touch of red in her hair and a few freckles on her nose. She is a fire sign so if you choose an Aries girl get ready for a life of passion and volatility.'_ " He looked up at Abbey with a grin. "Ooh, babe, this book has you NAILED." 

"Let me see that." She made a grab for the book, but Jed held it out of reach and continued reading. 

" _'Your Aries girl may have an independent streak a mile wide but she is not a loner. She is an ambitious free spirit who will reach for the stars but she will want and expect you to be there for her when things come crashing down around her. Arians are courageous leaders with a genuine concern for those that they command. They do not use their subordinates to obtain their own objectives. Your Aries girl may be headstrong and argumentative, but much as her sign is the Ram, she has a little lamb inside her as well, a soft side that at times would rather give in without resistance than continually butt horns. She is patient and trusting and openly affectionate. In personal relationships Arians are frank, direct and candid, and make enthusiastic and generous friends. When an Aries girl loves you it will be with all of her heart and she will expect nothing less from you. She does not do things in half measure, with her it's all or nothing. As is the case with most fire signs, Aries girls are liable to have high sex drives and they make for passionate and creative lovers.'_ " He looked up at her with a wiggle of his eyebrows. "I guess we match up pretty good in the sex drive department." 

"Yeah, like we didn't know that already. Come on let's go check out the kids books." 

"No wait. I want you to hear this part. _'Arians are highly devoted to their children, even to the point of laying down their own lives so that they might live. You will not find a more defensive and loving parent in all the zodiac.'_ " 

Abbey was silent for a moment, digesting that little bit of information, surprised at the tears that stung her eyes. She turned away from him. 

"You're missing them." He touched her shoulder gently. It was a statement, not a question. 

"I know it's only been a couple of days, but sometimes I feel so guilty leaving them behind." 

"I know you do. I do too at times. But we needed this, Abs, just you and me, concentrating on just you and me." 

Abbey smiled, "I know." She had always taken as much care to nurture her marriage as she did her children. It was one of the main reasons it had stayed so strong over the years. "Now come on, let's go nuts buying our children's forgiveness for being apart from them." 

When they left the children's section over a half-hour later, Abbey's arms were filled with big gorgeous picture books and Jed carried two small stuffed Paddington bears that he just HAD to purchase for the twins. 

While Abbey stood at the counter waiting for the books to be rung up, Jed wandered next door to "Mignon Faget's Boutique". It was a jewelry store run by an artist who specialized in custom designed jewelry. 

"I'd like to buy my wife a gift," he told the designer. "A reminder of our stay here." 

"Do you have anything in mind?" 

"Well, she loves necklaces. I just wanted something indicative of our time here. Maybe a small crescent since New Orleans is the Crescent City, nothing too ornate." 

"Why don't we go with something light and delicate, something to remember the lacy iron balconies of the French Quarter. I could do something in maybe sterling filigree with a triple chain. The top chain would be very thin, worn like a choker and would have very tiny silver crescents all around it. The next chain would be a little longer and have only two crescents; they would be a bit larger than the ones all along the choker. The bottom chain would fall lower with just one slightly larger crescent, how low would you like it to fall?" 

Jed placed a finger to the spot just above where it would dip into his wife's cleavage. "About here?" he asked. He was obviously a bit unsure of himself having never designed jewelry before. 

"That will be perfect. I could add gemstones to them, whatever you like." Her hands had quickly drawn up a design for him to see and Jed knew it would be perfect. 

"I'm not sure about which gemstones to choose." 

Mignon pulled out a long black velvet swatch lined with gemstones of all colors, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, but it was the amber stone that caught his eye. Not quite as flashy as the other stones, but almost the exact color of his wife's russet hair. 

"How about that one on the large crescent," he pointed to the stone with its glittering shine of red, gold and brown. "Then, maybe diamonds on the other ones. Abbey loves diamonds." He was too embarrassed to tell the artist that he had just read in his wife's zodiac chart that the diamond was her starstone and by wearing the precious stone it would keep her filled with beauty and charm. 

"I think it's a good choice. The diamonds will glitter around her neck and the amber will be just a tad less predictable." 

"Well, that's my wife, unpredictable. How soon do you think it will be finished?" 

"How soon do you need it?" Mignon knew she would drop everything to make a custom made necklace for the First Lady. 

"I'd like to give it to her before we part ways again. That will be in St. Louis by the end of the week." 

"No problem. Just have somebody contact me with where you are staying and I'll send it to you." 

"Jed? What are you doing in here?" 

Jed jumped at the sound of his wife's voice and turned to see her in the doorway with their packages from next door. Mignon discreetly slid the paper with the design under the counter. 

"Uh…I was looking for a brooch for my mother's birthday." His hand reached out for the first thing he saw. Abbey approached her brow furrowing. 

"Jed, somehow I don't think that your mother would appreciate a snake with a ruby red eye. It isn't exactly her style now, is it?" 

Jed looked sheepish. "I guess not." 

Abbey turned to Mignon with a tolerant smile. "This is why I do all the jewelry shopping for the women in the family," she told her. 

Mignon nodding thinking that the First Lady was going to be in for a delightful surprise when she was given the necklace her husband had personally designed for her. 

**** 

Hungry from all their shopping, the First Couple stopped to have lunch at "Bayona", an elegant little restaurant situated in a converted Creole cottage. They were seated on the back patio, their table nestled in the shade where they were able to kick back and relax, sharing a bottle of wine and dining on the specialty of the house – marinated grilled Gulf shrimp. 

As afternoon descended over them, along with the absolutely stifling rising temperature, they decided to return to the hotel and hide out, completely understanding why people that lived in warmer climes generally took siestas in the afternoon. They also came to understand just why there was such a different pace down here. Service was slower, albeit friendly, and less pushy. It was as if the heat sapped the people down here of any energy to expend by trying to rush things. Used to the more brisk efficiency of the northeast, it took the couple some getting used to at first. But, once they gave themselves over to this more laid back lifestyle, they found themselves enjoying listening to a shopkeeper tell them of the ghost that inhabited his establishment, or a waitress who spilled out her entire life story before their meal had even arrived. There was a reason that New Orleans was referred to as the "Big Easy" and they were certainly discovering that today. 

Back at the hotel they changed into their swimsuits and made their way down to the pool that was in their private courtyard. After a dip to cool off, they relaxed back in lounge chairs under the Magnolia and Crepe Myrtle trees with their newly acquired books from their shopping spree. They sipped mint juleps and listened to the gurgling of the fountain and the faint sound of jazz emanating from a just waking up Jackson Square. 

"Isn't it nice just to be lazy?" Abbey asked. She stretched out her arm to spread a bit more sunscreen on her fair Irish skin. 

"Hold on, I'll get that." Jed set his julep aside and moved to his wife's lounge chair where he took the sunscreen, rubbed it between his hands and began running them over her bare skin. There was a lot of bare skin to cover. The bright black and coral string bikini didn't leave much to the imagination. Abbey watched his hands quickly depart her less interesting arm and move to her belly where he began to gently smooth in the sunscreen in sensuous, ever increasing circles. 

Abbey loved his masculine tanned hands, the square blunt tipped fingers that could drive her insane with pleasure, the fine golden hair that grew on the back and caught the sunlight, the slightly rough palms that caused her to swallow convulsively as she fought the arousal that threatened. 

"I… already did my stomach, Jed." The little hitch in her voice told him that his ministrations were having the desired effect on her. 

"That's okay. I can do it better." 

Abbey grinned at that overwhelming understatement. He certainly could do it better. She lay back enjoying the feel of his hands over her body and sucked in her breath sharply when his fingers ever so lightly brushed over the mound between her thighs. Jed felt her belly tighten in response, knew that she was very aroused. His fingers moved to the curve of her hip and began untying the string there. 

"Jed, STOP!" Abbey panicked, sitting up, her eyes frantically searching for the agents she'd seen milling about that morning. 

"Aw, come on, you were getting into it. I know you were." 

"Too much so it would seem." 

Jed's finger teased her, running along the edge of her bikini bottom, felt her fighting her thighs natural inclination to part for him. "You know you waaaant it." His sing song voice taunted her. 

"Yeah, dammit, I do, but not here." 

"Well then, let's go take one of those afternoon siestas." 


	6. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Later that evening, Abbey slid into the slinky black silk dress she had purchased that morning at "Trashy Diva's". It was deeply V-eed in the front, dipping down between her breasts. Wearing only the bare minimum of underclothes, including thigh high sheer hose, she was at least able to withstand the steamy night air a little better than the evening before in her dress covering tunic. 

As she made her way to the sedan enjoying the simple intimacy of just holding Jed's hand, her body was satisfied and relaxed and she felt as languid and indolent as night in the Deep South. But, with a tingle of anticipation, she knew that by the time they returned, Jed would be able to lift her back up to those incredible heights that had her screaming his name toward the ceiling or into his chest as the case might be. It had been a long time since she'd had as much sex as she was having right now, and rather than feeling that her proverbial itch had been scratched, she yearned for even more. Thankfully she knew that her husband would be up for the task. Thank God she married a Leo, she thought with a grin. That high sex drive was sure coming in handy. 

They stopped briefly at "Pat O'Briens", the raucous cacophony of music and noise barely noting their arrival. That was exactly as the Secret Service wanted it. They had forgone a heavy notable presence for one quite a bit more discreet. Plain clothed agents wound their way through the crowd, carrying their plastic cups of alcohol so as to fit in. The last thing that the Service wanted was the entire Quarter knowing that the First Couple was sitting outside enjoying cocktails at "Pat O'Briens". 

Abbey and Jed watched the hedonistic scene unfold before them. They were seated outside in the grand courtyard patio surrounded by the flaming fountains that lit the area. They were only a doorway away from the decadence of Bourbon Street and both were enjoying the wild atmosphere while they sipped their famous "Hurricane's" – a 29 oz. sweet concoction of rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, passion fruit and grenadine. It was right up Abbey's alley, but for Jed, used to his scotch and bourbon, it was a little too sweet. 

Despite their precautions, the Service did not like having the First Couple milling about in such a wild unrestrained atmosphere and they were very tense about keeping the place secure. That and the fact that they had dinner plans caused the couple to leave as soon as they finished their drinks. 

Abbey had chosen "Le Chat Noir" for dinner that evening. It was a small intimately romantic restaurant; one of those darkly elegant places that favored a dim interior and soft candlelight. They dined on excellent Creole food while listening to a middle aged woman playing the piano and singing moody Edith Piaf renditions, her voice throaty and sensual. 

"My hat is off to you, Abs," Jed said, lifting his glass of wine to her. "You certainly did your homework. This place is great. Everything has been great. How long have you been planning this tryst?" 

"Since the last time you came home and we got interrupted so many times you had to jump in the bay. You weren't the only one screaming with frustration." 

"I wasn't?" He took her hand toying with her wedding rings. 

"Nope. I was like a cat on a hot tin roof and before you say anything, I know that it was partially my own damn fault. I know that it took me a while to get comfortable again…you know…with my body." 

"It's okay, I understand. It's not that easy to change gears." 

"No, it wasn't. I just couldn't see my breasts as sexy again after being so afraid that they were diseased. You were great through it all, though." She began stroking the inside of his wrist with her finger. "I don't know if I told you this or not, but I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there for me to come running home to. You were my rock, so calm and steady and sure." 

Jed looked down. It was hard to take compliments for something that never was. 

"Hey, look at me." She tilted his chin so she could look into his amazing eyes. "I know it was pretty much an act, but it was a damn convincing one. You sure had me fooled. I had no idea that you weren't so confident and sure of the outcome until I found you…in the shower." 

"I guess I sort of lost it, didn't I?" 

"You were entitled. It isn't easy to repress everything like that. I was able to cry and to rage, but you never did. You never let yourself show me that you were anything other than sure that I was going to be okay. You never let me push you away and retreat within myself. I just never knew what that cost you until the dam burst." She reached a hand out to run a finger lightly over his square jaw. "Thank you." 

His eyes grew suddenly suspicious. "That isn't what all this is about, is it? Some kind of thank you gift?" He didn't like the idea of his wife thinking that she needed to pay him back for being there for her. He didn't like to think that everything she had done was a repayment of sorts. Somehow it made it all seem dirty and sordid and certainly less loving. 

Abbey could see the hurt in his vulnerable sky blue eyes. Seeing that could still cause her heart to constrict. Ever since she had met Jed, there had been a quiet assured strength about him, something she had been immediately attracted to. But she had been equally enamored of the little boy inside of the self-assured man, that wounded little boy who covered his pain from the world with humor and bravado but who had never truly been able to hide that part of himself from her, his soulmate. Right from the start she had been able to see right through him, right into his heart and his soul. 

"No, this wasn't a payback, you foolish jackass," she smiled tenderly. "This was about me missing you so much that my bones ached. It was about going without having you in my bed in the carnal sense for almost two months, and it was about your birthday." 

"Well, okay then," he said with relief. 

"So, how does it rate?" 

"How does what rate?" 

"Your birthday. Is this the best one ever?" 

"Weeelll…" he hedged. "…It's up there, no doubt about it. But there was one that topped it." 

Abbey looked at him for long moment and then it dawned on her. "Zoey." 

"You brought me breakfast in bed and gave me that tiny little pencil thin gift. It said 'Happy Birthday, Daddy' on it so I thought it was from one of the girls. When I opened it, it was a positive home pregnancy stick telling me that I was going to be a daddy again." 

"I had waited until your birthday to confirm my suspicions." Abbey smiled softly at the memory. 

"A baby… our child… best gift ever, Abs." 

"I guess I'll never top that one." 

"At least I HOPE you don't. After all I can only think of one way that you could," he teased. 

"Bite your tongue," she kicked him under the table. 

**** 

"'The Funky Butt'?" Jed stared out his window as they pulled up in front of a club. "It sounds like somewhere Zoey would go dancing. This isn't some kind of hippie club, is it?" 

"I believe the term is hip hop, sugar, and have you ever known me to enjoy going to hip hop clubs? No, I don't think so. Trust me. I haven't steered you wrong yet." 

They got out of the sedan and Jed soon found himself in a classy, sexy club with a Jazz Age atmosphere. They were only a few blocks away from the wildness of Bourbon Street, yet it seemed like an entire world apart. In fact, the swanky small club reminded Jed very much of the movies set in these places in the 20's and 30's. 

They sat nursing drinks for a little while, enjoying just listening to the hot modern jazz, but it wasn't long before Abbey got itchy feet. His wife loved to dance, and while Jed still enjoyed dancing to the slow numbers best, Abbey and his daughters had taught him to cut a pretty mean rug over the years. He'd never be entirely comfortable, but at least he wouldn't make a fool of himself. 

Abbey adored dancing with her husband. Despite his capacity for clumsiness at times, he was very polished and sure-footed on the dance floor. He didn't like to admit it but that ability came from the dance lessons that his mother had inflicted upon him when he was just a boy. It wasn't strange back then, in certain circles, for well brought up young boys and girls to learn to waltz and fox trot together. He'd hated those dance lessons but later had been grateful for them because Abbey enjoyed going out dancing so much and he didn't have to stumble and bumble around. In fact, it was while he was dating Abbey in college that Jed learned just how erotic it could be to hold a woman in his arms with their parts lined up properly swaying suggestively to the music, something his daughters referred to as "dirty dancing". Now those had been dancing lessons he had enjoyed. Immensely enjoyed. 

Deeper into the night and several drinks later, Jed was feeling slightly mellow, a soft little buzz that having maybe one too many might create. He couldn't allow himself to get completely plastered anymore, not that he'd done it that often before he was President, but now he had to be even more careful. His alluring little wife did not have that kind of restraint hanging over her and he could see that she was feeling no pain at the moment. Not drunk, but certainly feeling pretty good. A band from the West Indies had taken over from the Cajun two-step that they'd been learning, and was electrifying the crowd with the pulsing beat of the drums. 

Despite his reservations, Abbey dragged him out on to the floor. He stood, so enthralled by his wife that he was barely moving to the beat of the music. He watched her, her arms lifted over her head, her hips gyrating to the pulsing rhythm of the music. She had taken the clip out of her hair and it now hung loose and curling to her shoulders, just the way that he liked it – sexy and sort of out of control. He watched a bead of sweat trickle down between her breasts and had the strong urge to try to catch it with his tongue. He could see that she was at one with the music and that she was feeling it deep inside her – her body completely taken over. There was something almost primitively erotic about it and by the time the song ended Jed was breathing almost as heavy as she was. It had been a long time since he had seen her let her hair down like this, at least in public and he was surprised to find that he didn't even care if there was any fallout to the evening. Abbey's cancer scare had taught him that life was too short to worry about the trivial things and if people didn't want to vote for him because his wife wasn't the "image" they were looking for in a First Lady, then they could go to hell. His wife was alive and she was having fun and that was all that mattered to him at the moment. 

"Jed, it's really hot and stuffy in here." She was fanning herself with a cocktail napkin. 

"Want to get some fresh air?" 

"I thought you'd never ask." 

They made their way out onto the wrought iron balcony and Abbey was never more thankful for the Service than she was when they blocked the balcony doors, keeping everyone out and giving them complete and total privacy. 

Jed watched Abbey inhale deep breaths of the jasmine-laden air as she pushed damp locks of hair off her forehead. 

"I can't remember the last time that I danced like that." 

"You're having a good time?" He reached out to gently caress her cheek. 

"The best. It's almost like before. You know, before…" she trailed off, not wanting to get into all of that. 

"Before the eyes of the world were upon us." 

"Yeah…you don't think…I mean…what if someone in there who saw us dancing talks to the press?" 

"You were dancing, so what?" 

"Yeah, but I don't think that was the kind of dancing that people expect of their First Lady." 

"Well, they'll just have to learn to expect it. Shattering glass ceilings is nothing new to you, babe." 

Inside a smoky voiced singer took the stage starting in on a Bette Midler classic that Jed knew was one of Abbey's favorites. He held his hand out to her, pulling her up against his chest. 

"Ah, this is more like it," he sighed with contentment. "I like the slow ones." 

Abbey nodded in agreement, nestling in to his chest and then they were silent, feeling the music, listening to the seductive lyrics, swaying gently in the sultry southern night. 

> _Do you wanna dance, and hold my hand?_  
>  Tell me you're my lover man.   
> Oh baby, do you wanna dance? 
> 
> We could dance under the moonlight,   
> hug and kiss all through the night.   
> Oh baby, tell me, do you wanna dance with me baby? 
> 
> Do you, do you, do you, do you want to dance?   
> Do you, do you, do you want to dance?   
> Do you, do you, do you, do you want to dance with me baby? 
> 
> Ah, that's right, ah, ah, aaaaaaaah.   
> Do you want to dance under the moonlight?   
> Hug me, kiss me, baby, all through the night.   
> Oh baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, tell me, do you want to dance?

Abbey stirred slightly in Jed's arms, smiling up at him, losing herself in his eyes. She kissed him then, gently, tenderly, the kiss of romance and still they continued to dance their bodies barely moving to the music. 

Their kisses deepened as they always did, tongues tangling in their dance of desire. Before they knew it they were forgetting to move their feet and Abbey's hands were on Jed's butt, pulling him up against her. 

Surprisingly, it was Jed who pulled back first or not surprisingly, since it was he that would have the visible proof of what they were doing out there. "Abbey," her name came out soft and husky. "Much as I wouldn't mind doing this right here. I think we better go back to the hotel for any recreational activity." 

Abbey nodded, her eyes softened with desire. She didn't know what had gotten into her this weekend; it was as if all propriety was being thrown out the window, as if she were allowed the freedom to be the same person she had been before Jed had been elected President. Actually, a part of her knew exactly what it was all about. She had been given the gift of life just a couple of months ago and she was determined live that life to its fullest. She was tired of repressing who she was, tired of bending into somebody's image of who she should be. She was not just the Democrat's brilliant career woman, nor the Republican's loving mother; she was both those things and so much more. Maybe it was time that she allowed people to see the real Abbey Bartlet. They'd had glimpses of her before, but had never been allowed the full measure of just who she was. 

**** 

Despite her lack of underclothes, Abbey's dress was clinging to her by the time they made their way through the private courtyard to the elevator that would bring them up to their room. The muggy air was completely dead, no river breeze at all tonight. She eyed the cool water of the pool with longing then turned to her husband who stood beside her his shirt unbuttoned at his neck. She watched a bead of sweat trickle down over his Adam's apple, then settle in the pulse point at the base of his throat. She pressed her lips there kissing it away, feeling his pulse start to race. 

"Let's go for a swim," she purred, her lips moving their way over his throat. 

Jed didn't want to swim; he wanted her lips to continue to work their way over his skin, but he figured that once he got her up to their room to change into their suits he could find a way to change her mind. "Okay. But let's hurry up." He began pulling her toward the elevator. 

"Unh uh…" She tugged him back toward the pool. "I want to go swimming, NOW. A little cool water is just what the doctor ordered." 

"Skinny dipping," he nodded his approval. "I like your style, Dr. Bartlet. Just give me a minute." He made his way back to the edge of the courtyard and she saw him talking to Ron and another agent. She watched Ron nod and step outside the courtyard door. 

"All set for privacy," he told her. "The agents will stay on the other side of the door. I just need to have my panic button by the edge of the pool. Although, I don't know what kind of danger they think I could be in when it's just me and you." 

"Really, you don't think I'm dangerous?" 

He noticed the glint in her soft green eyes as she began stepping towards him. 

"Dangerously seductive, maybe." 

"Really? Do you think I'm wicked?" She stopped in front of him reaching out to run a finger over his lips. 

"Absolutely." He was really getting into this. He loved naughty Abbey. 

"And wanton." She trailed her finger down his chest, brushing lightly over the front of his pants. 

"You know it," he bit out between clenched teeth. 

"But not dangerous?" 

"Hardly." He glanced down at her tiny frame just in time to see her place her hands on his chest and give a hard shove. The next thing he knew he was free falling and landing with a splash in the deep end of the pool. He came up for air sputtering and cursing. 

"Never underestimate me, Josiah." She stood on the edge of the pool and reached behind herself to unzip her dress. "I thought you'd learned that by now." 

Jed's anger deflated as he watched his wife slide her dress down over her curves. She stood before him, gloriously naked in the moonlight, hair tumbling to her shoulders. For one brief moment, she was a high priestess of womanliness: full breasts, tiny waist, gently curving hips, a shadowy dark triangle between her long shapely legs. And then, in an instant, it was over and she was arcing high in the air in a dive that took her not far from where he was treading water. 

Abbey had been skinny dipping many times. She and Jed often swam in the nude in their pond at the farm, but this water was different. It was warm and silky, sliding over her body, between her legs and over her nipples as sensuously as her lover's hands. 

As if jealous of the water that caressed his wife's nude form, Jed reached out for her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to him, not roughly, but gently, cajoling her over to him. Abbey went willingly, immediately wrapping her legs around his waist to anchor herself to him in the buoyant water. It was evident right away that he'd stripped off his wet clothes. 

"Why'd you throw me in?" he asked, his tongue reaching out to lick a drop of water off the tip of her nose. 

"Just a little payback for this morning. How am I supposed to face the Archbishop of St. Louis now? I mean, my God, I'm supposedly an articulate woman, but with all my stammering and babbling he's going to think that I'm deranged." 

"Don't worry about it, babe. I've got you covered. I'll make sure to explain to him exactly what was going on." Amusement was again dancing in his eyes. 

"Ha! Very funny." Abbey's fingers reached around him to pinch his posterior particularly hard. 

"Ow!" he cried. 

"'Cause it would be much better if he thought that I'm a sex fiend rather than being mentally deranged?" 

"Are you?" 

"Am I what?" 

"A sex fiend?" 

"I'm sure as hell starting to feel like one." 

"Welcome to the club. We're always looking for new members. Want me to teach you the secret handshake?" He gave her a boyish grin. 

"Let me take a wild guess." Abbey's hand drifted under the water, curling around him. 

"Oh, sweetheart, you catch on real fast," he groaned. "You should have no problem at all with the initiation rites." 

"Oh, and what, pray tell, might those entail?" 

Jed's fingers dug into Abbey's rear lifting her slightly. He eased her onto his erection, impaling her on it, giving a soft masculine moan of approval at her gasp of pleasure. 

Abbey's legs tightened around him in response. "I think I'm going to enjoy being a member of this club," she murmured against his lips. 

"Better than the D.A.R.?" He bit down gently on her full lower lip. 

"Oh WAY better than the D.A.R.." 

**** 

Jed grinned in his sleep. He was back home; he could hear the children in the hallway and waited with anticipation for the door to fly open and for the two rambunctious kids to come running in. When that didn't happen he frowned and opened his eyes. He wasn't at home after all. He was still in Louisiana, but that didn't make any sense. Was he missing his kids so much that he was starting to hear things? He could have sworn that…There it was again. He distinctly heard his children arguing over who was going to knock on the door. He sat upright a broad grin of delight breaking across his face. 

"THE RUGRATS ARE HERE!" 


	7. Everyday Is a Winding Road

He jumped from the bed anxious to see his children. 

"Jed!" Abbey pulled the sheet up to cover her breasts. "Your clothes." 

"Our kids bathe with me, Abigail. They've seen me naked." 

"Yeah, well unless there's something you aren't telling me, Izzy has yet to see you in all your natural splendor. Or did you think perhaps that they made the trip from Washington alone?" 

Jed looked down at himself and then at the door, his skin flushing with what he had almost done. He grabbed for his bathrobe and tossed Abbey a T-shirt, which she proceeded to slip over her head just in time for Jed to open the door to their room. 

"Who's making all that NOISE out here?" he thundered, in the voice that he used for the Giant when he read the kids _Jack in the Beanstalk_. 

"DADDY!" The kids' shrieks filled the room and Abbey laughed as she watched two mini-tornadoes attach themselves to their father's legs. Jed pulled their arms from his legs and got down on his knees, holding them away from his body to survey them up and down, his eyes squinting critically. 

"My God, Abbey, I think they've grown five inches since I last saw them." 

"A bit of an exaggeration, wouldn't you say?" Her tone was sarcastic but a smile of pure joy was on her face at having her family together again. 

"MOMMY!" The two children cried out, upon realizing that their mother was in the room as well and they both raced for the bed. 

Grinning broadly, Jed lifted them up on to the bed and they hit Abbey's body with such enthusiasm she was pushed back into the pillows. 

"Oh, gosh, I missed you guys so much." Abbey held their warm little bodies tightly to hers and began nuzzling and kissing their hair and faces as only a mother could. 

Jed sat on the edge of the bed next to them and Nicholas crawled back over to his father. Jed lifted him up, standing the toddler in front of him. 

"What do you think, sport? Have you grown, or what?" 

Nicholas nodded with a smile. 

"Well, you tell your mother that. Us guys gotta stick together." 

Nicholas turned to his mother who was laying back on the pillows with Aislinn snuggled up in her arms. "I gwowed," he informed her. 

"Are you ganging up on me?" Abbey feigned a stern look and sat up. Nicholas leaned back against Jed's chest. "'Cause if you're ganging up on me, I'm going to have to…TICKLE YOU!" She reached out her fingers pressing them into her little boy's ticklish ribcage and underarms. Nicholas shrieked and laughed while his mother continued to tickle and nuzzle at him. 

"And what about you, young lady?" Jed asked, eyeing his daughter who hadn't moved from her spot nestled into the pillows. "Are you ticklish?" 

Aislinn shook her head negatively but a smile was already working its way across her face anticipating what her father was going to do next. 

"Are you sure about that? 'Cause I think I remember that you are very ticklish." Aislinn had already begun giggling by the time Jed had her shirt lifted and when he blew a loud raspberry on her belly, she was helpless with paroxysms of laughter. 

The sound spilling out of the room into the courtyard below was not what the Service had become used to over the past couple of days. This time it was the sound of a family – of mother, father, and giggling children wrestling over the bed, tickling and squealing with delight. It was the joyful sounds of a family reunited. 

**** 

Abbey and Jed had breakfast that morning in the hotel restaurant. The children had already eaten but they ordered them each a chocolate chip pancake and milk to keep them from getting too crabby while they ate. There was too much excitement at seeing their parents again and neither child wanted to stay in their high chairs. They fussed and squirmed until they were finally released and each allowed to sit on a parent's lap. 

"You two better start behaving," Abbey said, spooning a piece of pancake into Nicky's mouth. "Or we may just skip the zoo." 

"Is that where we're going today, the zoo?" Jed asked, over the protests of his kids. 

"Well, darling…that's part of the deal that I made with Bruno." 

"Bruno wants us to go to the zoo?" Jed looked puzzled; he'd never campaigned at a zoo before. 

"He wants us to go to the zoo with the kids and while we're there he wants a photo-op." Abbey cringed, waiting for her husband's outburst. They never used their children this way, never had, even when it meant getting more votes. 

"We're going to spend the day at the zoo with the press trailing us?" Jed sounded more disgusted than pissed. 

"No, not all day. I told him just one photo-op. He chose the petting zoo. So, we'll have our pictures taken with the kids feeding goats and lambs and then we'll have the rest of the day to ourselves. I'm sorry. It was the only way I could get Bruno to agree. I think I could have sweet talked Leo into it, guilted CJ into it, or bossed Josh into it, but that Bruno is a real hard ass." 

"Yes, he is. It's why he's so effective." 

Bruno's reputation was legendary. The man was a political animal pure and simple. Emotions and friendships did not exist for him. He did not care to build relationships or bond with the staff. He was simply there to do his job, and that was to get the President re-elected no matter what the cost. Because of that, there was no manipulation or subterfuge on his part. Bruno was straightforward and honest, oftentimes quite brutally honest. That was actually something Abbey admired in the man. With Bruno you never had to wonder where you stood. If she hadn't been fighting him for control of her husband's life, she might even like the man; but as it was, she was getting really irritated with butting heads with him. 

"Speak of the devil," Jed said, as he watched Bruno and some of the staff enter. 

"No pun intended," Abbey whispered to him with a raised eyebrow, as she sipped her coffee. 

"The motorcade is ready whenever you are," Charlie informed them. 

Jed nodded and they began to get to their feet. 

"The press will be roped off by the petting zoo," CJ said. "They would like photos of each of you holding a child and then they'll take some candids. They will not, at the First Lady's request, shout at the children or try to talk to them." 

"You sure about that, CJ?" Jed scowled. He still remembered that circus of hooligans screaming at the kids when he was bringing them to visit Abbey in the hospital. 

"I'm sure. It's just legitimate press that has been invited. No paparazzi. And, when you move on, they will depart and you'll have the rest of your day in peace." 

As they started to make their way out of the hotel, each holding a child's hand, Abbey stopped in front of Bruno while Jed continued on. 

"Just so you understand. This is the LAST time that I barter for him." She stuck her finger in Bruno's face. "Next time I say he needs a break, he gets a break." 

"Begging your pardon, ma'am, but the President is a big boy. He doesn't need to be molly coddled," Bruno said derisively. The rest of the staff stepped back wondering just how stupid Bruno was to fire up the First Lady's temper. Nobody questioned the First Lady when it came to her husband's well being – NOBODY. 

"EXCUSE ME?" Abbey's green eyes were flashing with fire now. "I'm NOT some brainless bimbo here. I happen to be a very respected doctor, something I think that you all often forget. I KNOW exactly what the hell I'm talking about. I'm also the President's wife and I know him better than ANY of you. I know what Jed needs and I know how to get the best out of him. Why don't you try asking me for a change instead of fighting me?" She turned to follow Jed out of the building, then turned back to them. "Don't EVER talk down to me again, Bruno." 

"Wow," Bruno watched the First Lady leave with something akin to admiration in his eyes. "Is there fire in her or what?" Abigail Bartlet was proving to be everything that Bruno found appealing and admirable in a woman. She was feisty, smart, sexy, temperamental, candid and honest to a fault. Unfortunately, those were the qualities he found LEAST appealing in a candidate's wife. He liked his candidates' wives to be quiet and malleable, to stay hidden in the background and to pretty much speak only when spoken to. He did NOT like his schedules or his methods questioned and the fact that it was the First Lady second-guessing him stuck in his craw because there wasn't a whole lot that he could do about it. He couldn't complain to the President about her. Their close relationship was just as legendary as his own reputation. Maligning the First Lady to the President would probably get him nothing more than a one way ticket out of Washington. Yes, Dr. Abigail Bartlet was proving to be a formidable and worthy opponent. But, then again, there was nothing Bruno enjoyed more than a challenge. 

**** 

True to their word, the press remained behind their rope barricade and silently photographed the First Family while they wandered in the small pen that held a petting zoo. The President had purchased a large cup full of feed and the First Lady poured it into Nicholas' and Aislinn's small hands so they could feed the lambs and baby goats. Aislinn at first clung to her father's leg, a little nervous at being surrounded by all the excited animals that threatened to knock her to the ground. 

Jed bent over with an outstretched hand to show her just how easy it was to feed them and greedy little animals immediately surrounded him. Aislinn finally could not resist and accepted the transfer of feed from her father's hand to hers. Jed squatted beside her, keeping the more aggressive animals at bay and when things had calmed down a bit, Aislinn tentatively reached out her hand, giggling when a snuffling tiny goat licked the feed from it. 

"Moh, Daddy." She held out her hand for more of the feed. Jed poured more onto her hand and soon Aislinn was an old pro, feeding even the most aggressive of the baby animals. 

"Mama…YUCK!" 

Jed's head turned at his son's exclamation and almost immediately he heard Abbey burst into laughter. Nicholas was seated in the dirt with his eyes closed turning his head from side to side while a newborn lamb crawled all over his lap trying to suck at his chin. 

"What's the matter, Nicholas?" Abbey asked, pulling the baby lamb gently off of him. "Don't you like getting kissed by a lamb?" 

"Yucky," he scowled, scrambling up to his feet. He stepped up to where his mother was now kneeling helping his sister bottle feed the small lamb, and proceeded to rub his dirty face against the soft yellow cotton shirt that she wore with her navy blue shorts. 

"Nicholas, don't do that, sweetheart. You're getting Mommy all grimy." 

Nicholas stepped back. Abbey noticed that both children seemed more sensitive to reprimands since she and Jed had been gone so much. "It's okay, honey," she reassured him. "Come over here with Aislinn and me and help us feed the lamb." 

Nicholas toddled over and placed his hand on the bottle with his mother and sister, giggling at the way the lamb suckled and tossed his head. 

"See," Abbey told him. "He was just hungry. That's why he was nibbling at your chin. You used to do that when you were a tiny baby." 

Nicholas laughed and shook his head negatively. 

"Oh yes you did. You were a very impatient little baby when you were hungry and when Mommy wasn't quite ready to feed you yet, you used to suck on my shoulder and my chin and you even used to suck on Daddy's fingers." 

Nicholas turned to look at his father for confirmation. 

"Yup, you did, slugger. That's why I only have three fingers now." Jed put up a hand bending a finger so that only three showed. 

"No." Nicholas continued to shake his head, completely unfooled by his father. He ran toward Jed and grabbed at his wrist. 

"Oh no you don't." Jed tried to hide his hand behind his back. Nicholas raced around behind him and grabbed his arm. "Oh no, you got me." He pulled back pretending to try to break away from his son's grip. "Oh, Abbey, I told you he grew. He's too strong for me now." 

Nicholas laughed with triumph and turned his father's hand so that he could see where Jed was hiding his finger. 

"Mama, see." He lifted Jed's hand to show her that he still had all his fingers. 

"He does have all his fingers, doesn't he? Was Daddy trying to trick you?" 

Nicholas nodded with a big grin. 

"You're too smart for me, kiddo. Can't pull the wool over your eyes." He tousled Nicky's hair and the little boy scampered back off to his mother to finish bottle feeding the lamb. 

Jed made his way to the edge of the pen where CJ was leaning against the rails smiling at them, enjoying watching the family at play. "Could you get word to some of the photographers? I'd like to have some of these pictures for our own personal photo albums, especially the ones with the three of them feeding the lamb." 

"Of course, Mr. President, that shouldn't be a problem." 

When the children began to tire of feeding the animals, Abbey and Jed packed them back up into the little red wagon they had rented and made sure the tiny baseball caps they wore were shielding their fair heads and faces from the unrelenting sun. When they turned the wagon to walk by the press corps, each child had their stuffed Paddington bear in one hand and a sippie cup of juice in the other. That was the last that the press saw of them as the First Family made their way away from the petting farm and over to the alligator exhibit. 

"Show's over people," CJ told them. "Pack it up and move on out." 

Nobody was truly complaining, they all knew they had gotten some pretty memorable stuff this morning. 

**** 

The air was steamy, heavy with moisture, dead. It was eerily silent save for the call of a bird and the soft plop of a gator moving from a dead limb into the water. Live oaks dripped gray-blue beards of Spanish moss all around them and birds perched on the top of the dead Cypress trees that stuck up like skeletal fingers out of the brown swamp water. 

The Bartlet family was visiting the Bayou, or at least the New Orleans Zoo's imitation of a bayou, in order to visit the alligator exhibit. They all stood on a wooden walkway that crossed directly over the swamp. 

"Jed, watch him…" Abbey nervously eyed her son as he eagerly peered through the rail trying to spot an alligator. 

"Abbey, he's fine," Jed assured her. "There's no way that he can fall into the water." On the outer part of the railing there was a fence to keep children from falling into the swamp. 

"I know, but just…keep your hand on him." 

Jed sighed placing a finger through the strap of his son's overalls. "There, Mother, are you happy now?" 

"Immensely." 

"Daddy!" 

Jed's attention was drawn to the water where Nicholas was pointing eagerly at a large alligator swimming their way; its beady eyes visible above the water. 

"Here comes a big one." He turned to Abbey. "Bring Aislinn over here. There's one right in front of us." 

Abbey carried Aislinn over on her hip and they all watched the large alligator climb out of the murky water up on to the muddy shore. After watching the gator part its mighty jaws in a wide yawn revealing rows of large yellow teeth, both Nicholas and Aislinn turned to their parents with astonished eyes. 

"Teef, Mama," Aislinn said, sticking her fingers between Abbey's lips to run over her teeth. 

"Yes, love." She withdrew the fingers and kissed Aislinn's palm. "He has teeth just like us." 

"Big teef." Nicholas turned to them, his blue eyes wide as saucers. Abbey couldn't help but smile at the incredulity on her son's face. One of the best things about having children was getting to watch the world open up for them and re-experiencing that wonder time and time again. 

"That's because big teeth are better…TO EAT YOU WITH." Jed chased a shrieking and laughing Nicholas all the way to the indoor reptile exhibit, while Abbey took her time pointing out birds and pretty flowers to Aislinn. She had never been a fan of reptile houses. All those snakes gave her the creeps. They, of course, fascinated her son and she found him on Jed's shoulders peering into a large tank that held a giant Anaconda. 

"Mama, look," he called her over to her. Abbey grimaced and made her way over. 

"Mama doesn't like snakes, sport." Jed grinned at Abbey's discomfort. 

"They're fine behind glass," she sniffed, but her distaste was still quite evident in her wrinkled nose. 

"So you don't mind the little garter snakes they let roam free in here?" 

"What?" 

"Like that one behind you." 

"WHAT!" Abbey shrieked, running towards Jed. His deep belly laugh told her exactly what she needed to know before she even turned to look back. There was no snake. 

"Bastard," she whispered into his ear with as much venom as any snake in the reptile hut. 

Both Aislinn and Nicholas were laughing at their father's joke on their mother. 

"Gotcha!" He grinned. "God, Abbey, you're such a GIRL." 

"You don't usually complain about that," she quipped, moving along to the next exhibit swaying her hips just a little more than usual. 

Jed whistled softly with appreciation. "No, I don't," he murmured to himself. "I surely don't." 

**** 

Just outside the reptile hut was a young high school boy working as a hot dog vendor. 

"Is everybody ready for lunch?" Jed asked his family. 

"Hut gog, hut gog," both children began to chant. 

"You heard them," Jed told the boy. "We're going to need some dogs here. What's your name, son?" 

"Uh…Billy…sir….William Landers," the boy stammered. 

"Aislinn, this is Billy. Tell him what you'd like on your hot dog." 

"Kessup." 

"I guess it's ketchup for Miss Aislinn," Jed told him, in case the boy hadn't understood his daughter. "What about you, Nicholas?" 

"Kessup n'lellow." 

"Lellow?" Jed frowned at Abbey. He hadn't heard that one before. 

"Yellow," Abbey deciphered with a grin. "He means mustard." 

"You heard the young man. It'll be ketchup and yellow mustard for him. And," he turned to Abbey. "For the lady, ketchup and relish." 

"And what can I get for you, sir." 

"I'll take two chili dogs with cheese and onions." 

Abbey wrinkled her nose at him watching the boy pile on the onions. She leaned over and whispered softly into Jed's ear. "Just don't be expecting me to kiss you tonight with that onion breath you're going to have." 

"On second thought, Billy, hold the onions on my dogs. My wife has just informed me that she doesn't approve of onion breath. You know how it is, gotta please the ladies." 

The young man began to blush as he worked on their hot dogs. 

"Do you have a girlfriend, Billy?" Jed asked, passing Aislinn's hot dog to Abbey. 

"Yes, I do. Her name is Tammy Sue." 

"Would you forgo eating onions even if you LOVE onions just to make sure that you get a kiss from Tammy Sue?" 

"Well…yes, sir. I expect I would." Billy responded to Jed's man to man tone. 

"You're a smart boy. Take it from a man who's been married for about a hundred years. You're going to spend the rest of your life bending over backwards to get pretty girls to kiss you. If you're lucky, like I am, it will be the same pretty girl your whole life through." 

The boy nodded and grinned at Abbey who stopped wiping ketchup from Aislinn's face to sidle up to her husband. Smiling softly, she gave him a quick, gentle peck on the cheek. 

"Oh how I love it when you suck up, Bartlet." 

**** 

In the gift shop, conveniently located at the exit, Abbey and Jed promised the children they could each pick out one thing and one thing only. Aislinn chose a friendly faced stuffed alligator, while Nicholas made a beeline for the long twisting stuffed Anacondas. With peals of laughter, he chased his mother around the gift shop with it trying to scare her. 

"That snake is bigger than you are. Why don't you get a nice scary lion?" Abbey suggested, showing him a stuffed lion. 

"Unh uh." Nicholas shook his head. "'Nake!" He held the snake to his chest. 

"Did you put him up to wanting that ugly old snake?" Abbey narrowed her eyes at Jed as she placed the stuffed animals on the counter so they could check out. 

"Actually I think it's kind of cute." He picked up the snake thrusting it toward Abbey's face, teasing her with its forked tongue. "You do know what a fear of snakes is supposed to indicate, don't you, Dr. Bartlet?" 

"Yeah, Dr. Freud, and if I were you I'd be hoping that's not what my fear indicates." 

"Somehow I think I eradicated that fear a LONG, LONG time ago." Jed discreetly gave Abbey's rear a squeeze. 

The Bartlet family left the gift shop with Nicholas banging his snake's tail against Abbey's leg all the way to where their strollers were parked. Abbey had a feeling that she was going to be having that snake thrown at her for quite a while to come. 

**** 

They walked from the sedan to the hotel, Abbey with a sleeping Nicholas in her arms, and Jed with an equally crashed Aislinn. Both kids had fallen asleep the moment they had been placed in their car seats. 

"You do know that they're going to wake up as soon as we put them down," Jed told her. He was balancing Aislinn in one arm, while he opened the door with the other. "Then they'll really be full of it." 

"That's okay. I want them to wake up." 

Jed's brow furrowed. "Why?" 

"You'll see." Abbey gave him a mysterious smile. Jed shook his head. The workings of the female mind never ceased to baffle him. 

Abbey was still smiling, when Jed opened the door that led out to the courtyard, only this time it was with anticipation. Sure enough, within seconds their eardrums were assaulted and the children were startled out of their sleep. 

"SURPRISE!" 


	8. Everyday Is a Winding Road

The President's party was in full swing. Reggae music played on the boom box and laughter filled the air. Waiters and waitresses milled about refilling piña coladas, hurricanes, and mint juleps, and a cooler by the pool was filled with beer. Feeling a bit jet lagged since he had just returned to New Orleans that morning, Leo climbed the stairs out of the pool and made his way to a lounge chair. 

Before going upstairs to change, Abbey had been relaxing in the chair and she had left her book on the small table beside it. For a moment Leo was taken aback by the title, _Understanding your Leo_ , then he realized it was referring to Jed's zodiac sign and not him. He grinned at his foolishness and sat back flipping the book open to the page Abbey had dog-eared. Evidently, she had been checking out her and Jed's compatibility because the page she had been reading was "Aries woman and Leo man". His curiosity piqued he began to read. 

" _This is a powerfully magnetic Sun Sign pattern and so when these two Fire Signs see Venus together, the romantic scene is explosive, but it's also a blinding light turned on an enchanted garden._ " Leo looked up for a moment to where the President stood in the shallow end of the pool playing with his kids. Leo had seen the small bite mark on his collarbone and while most people would assume it had come from one of his children, Leo knew his best friends well enough to know differently. Explosive was a definite, YES. He continued to read on… _"Sexual expression between them can be wonderfully healing, because each fulfils what the other requires of mating: passion, blended with affection. That is not as common as one may think. Most people desire –-and are able to give – only one or the other, not both…that kind of happiness they'll pursue together at almost any cost."_

Leo sat back contemplating that for a moment. He had never been one to get into horoscopes and believing in one's "signs" but he was amazed at how dead on accurate that book had described the physical side of Abbey and Jed's relationship. Never had he met a couple so in tune with each other's needs that their sexuality became merely an extension of how they felt emotionally and intellectually about each other. In times of pain or crisis, they always turned inward, to each other, drawing strength and comfort from the one person who knew them better than anyone else in the world. 

He was mulling over the foolishness and futility of loving a person who was so obviously wrong for him and so obviously right for another, when Abbey re-entered the courtyard. He dropped the book and picked up a copy of _U.S. News and World Report_. Ostensibly, he was reading the magazine but really he was watching Abbey make her way across the courtyard. After spending the afternoon in the pool playing with Jed and the kids, she had changed out of her sleek French cut one piece suit and was now wearing a gauzy peach colored sundress, her tanned legs and feet bare. There was something about those pretty painted toenails and the thin silver anklet that graced her slender ankle that was so incredibly feminine. Her still wet auburn hair was piled up rather haphazardly into a large clip, loose damp tendrils curling attractively around her jaw line and she wore big thin gold hoops in her ears. That soft femininity to Abbey's appearance contradicted her strength and sassy attitude; it was a combination that had always called out to Leo and one that he knew he would perhaps forever have to fight. Still, the gentleman in him could not ignore watching her walk with a diaper bag on each shoulder and some gifts in her arms. Finally, with a soft sigh, he got to his feet and approached her. 

"Here let me help you with those, Abbey." 

"Thank you, kind sir," Abbey smiled, in her best Blanche Dubois imitation. After setting the diaper bags down, she began rummaging in them pulling out towels, clothes, diapers and powder. 

"Ma'am," one of the chefs approached them. "Dinner will be ready in about a half hour." 

"Okay, thank you." Abbey sniffed at the air; the mouth-watering scent of barbecuing steaks and vegetables was very strong. She turned to Leo. "I guess I better get the kids out of the pool." 

"Which ones?" Leo grinned. 

Abbey turned to the water where Toby, Josh, Sam, and Charlie were having a spirited game of volleyball. Jed and CJ were standing close to the game but not playing. Instead, they were keeping their eyes on Nicholas and Aislinn who were swimming and splashing around with bright floaties on their arms. Every so often Jed couldn't resist and he stuck an arm out to smack the ball. 

"Mr. President, are you playing, or not?" Josh asked, belligerently. 

"I told you, I can't. Abbey put me in charge of the kids." 

"Then stop hitting the ball. You're affecting the outcome." 

"It's my party and I'll hit the ball if I want to. Right, Ash?" He grabbed his daughter and threw her into the air catching her just as she splashed back into the water with a frightened, yet excited, squeal. 

"Agin, Daddy…agin." 

Jed tossed her up again and as she landed safely back in his arms, he stuck a hand out to keep the ball in play. 

"SIR!" 

"Hey, that was self defense. It was going to hit my daughter." 

"That ball didn't go anywhere near Aislinn…" 

Abbey turned to Leo with a shake of her head. "I see exactly what you mean." She grabbed a couple of towels and made her way to the pool, squatting on the edge. 

"Okay, you two little prunes, time to get out and get dressed. Supper is almost ready." 

Both kids began to protest wanting to stay and play in the water. 

"Come on, you must be getting cold." 

"No coad," Nicholas told her adamantly, through quivering lips. 

Abbey had to smile at that statement. "Nicholas Josiah Bartlet, do not tell me that you aren't cold. Your lips are purple, for heaven's sake." 

"Daddy," Nicholas turned pleading eyes on his father. 

"Your father is getting out, too. He needs to get changed for supper." 

"She's right, slugger. You need to listen to your mother." Jed lifted the boy out of the water and into Abbey's arms. She took the floaties off his arms, slipped his suit and water logged swimper off, and wrapped him up in a big towel. 

"You stay right here while I get your sister." She opened another towel wide and turned back to the pool. 

CJ stopped twirling Aislinn in circles and moved to the edge of the pool. "I can't believe how well they do in the water," she said, lifting her up into Abbey's arms. "They're like little fish." 

"One of the benefits of having an indoor pool," Abbey said, as she began rubbing Aislinn down. "They've been in the water pretty much since birth and they've been having swimming lessons since before they were a year old." 

"Supper smells good. What are we having?" Jed came padding over the bricks toward her, catching the towel that she threw his way. 

"You're favorite summer meal – other than lobsters, of course – grilled steak and mushrooms, corn on the cob, potato salad and fresh tomato and cucumber slices." 

"Mmm…. A woman after my own heart." He began running the towel over his hair, then shook like a big hairy dog. Abbey had known it was coming but still didn't step back quite fast enough keep the spray from hitting her. 

"MUST you do that every time you dry off?" Her heart was not in the reprimand, as the droplets actually felt good on her warm skin. 

"You can't fool me, chere," Jed imitated the silky Cajun tone they had heard so much wandering around the Quarter. "I know it felt good." 

"Really? And just how do you know that?" 

"I always know what makes you feel good." He took her hand, running a finger up and down her palm, watching the goosebumps play across her arms, knowing instinctively that her nipples were tightening. 

"Mama," Aislinn tugged at Abbey's skirt impatiently. "I coad." 

"Oh…uh…yes." Abbey pulled her hand from Jed's grasp. "I'm sorry, sweetness. Let's go get dressed." She began leading her daughter over to the lounge chair that held the diaper bags. 

"Need any help getting them dressed?" Jed called out. 

"No, you just go upstairs and get yourself dressed." 

Her eyes followed her husband's tanned back as he wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way to the elevator, wishing there was some way she could sneak away and follow him to their room without anyone noticing. She would tear that towel off his hips, slip his bathing suit down his thighs and wrap her legs around his hips for a little quickie against the wall, or she could… 

"Mama…" There was a tug at her skirt and Abbey came out of her reverie to glance down at her daughter. Aislinn was holding out a pretty lilac colored sundress to her. So much for being able to disappear without anyone noticing. "Dwess." 

"You want to wear the purple dress?" 

Aislinn nodded lifting her arms up so Abbey could slide it over her head. As she did so, she noticed Nicholas running around bare butt naked after the volleyball that was rolling away from him. 

"Nicholas, you little exhibitionist, get your cute little butt over here so I can dress you." 

"No dwess…pay." 

"I know you want to play but you have to get dressed first." 

"Yup, no naked volleyball, partner." Leo lifted the squirming boy to bring him to Abbey. 

"Nicholas, stop kicking Uncle Leo or you aren't going to get any of Daddy's birthday cake tonight." 

"Bir'day." 

"Yes, it's Daddy's birthday and I'm going to expect you to help him blow out all the candles on his cake." 

Just the mention of cake and candles calmed both children down and Abbey was able to dress them in peace. 

**** 

Later, with dinner over, Jed sat at the head of the table opening his birthday gifts. There were multi-colored bows covering his head, courtesy of Aislinn who was seated on his lap helping him open his gifts. Nicholas stood beside them still gnawing on a corncob. 

Jed grinned reading the scribbled marks on the next card. "This one is from you and your brother," he told Aislinn. "I wonder what it could be." Aislinn shrugged and ripped the bow off the gift looking for an empty spot on his head to stick it too. She finally placed it just over his left ear. 

"If any of these pictures I see you all taking end up in the _Washington Post_ , you're all fired." Jed told them. 

"Just open the gift, Jed," Abbey urged him. She was standing just a couple feet away videotaping the proceedings. 

With Aislinn's help, Jed ripped at the paper and opened the box inside. A tender smile crossed his face as he gazed down at the gift. 

"What is it?" CJ asked. 

Jed lifted it to show them a framed plaque that held the imprint of both Nicky's and Aislinn's little feet immortalized in plaster that both children had splashed with bright colors of finger-paint. On the bottom was the engraved quote "Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him Father." 

"Thank you, kiddos." Jed pulled Aislinn to him for a tight hug that had her laughing and squirming, then bent his head to accept Nicky's kiss. "This is going right up on the wall in the Oval Office where I can see it every day." 

"Moh, Daddy…" Nicholas brought him the gift Abbey had handed to him. 

"Ah, this one is from Mommy." He looked up at Abbey. "I thought I already got my gift from you." He wiggled a brow at her. 

Abbey dropped the video camera to her side putting a hand on her hip. "You really are incorrigible, you know. My PARENTS are going to want to watch this." 

"You're the one with the mind in the gutter, sugarpie. I never mentioned what the gift was." 

He was silent, his eyes widening with interest as he unrolled the gift he had unwrapped. "Where did you find this?" he asked with awe. "It's amazing." 

"Down at one of the bookstores in the Quarter. I couldn't believe it when I asked the gentleman who was running the place if they had any historical maps of the area and he came out with that, among others." 

"Let's see," Sam said, his own interest piqued. Of all the President's senior staff, it was Sam who shared his keen interest in history. 

"My wife found a treasure map drawn up by a real life pirate." Jed carefully opened the faded yellowing paper, while CJ held Nicholas back making sure no buttery fingers touched it. It was a hand drawn map of the bayous and waterways of the lower Mississippi delta, south of New Orleans, complete with notes jotted down by the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte. 

"HE preferred to think of himself as a privateer," Abbey sniffed. 

"I'm sure he did," Jed gave her a broad grin. "Just like Thomas Weathergill." 

Abbey saw the glint of amusement in his eye and knew he had thrown that out there trying to get a rise out of her. 

"Who is Thomas Weathergill?" Charlie asked. 

"He was Abbey's great great…however many greats-grandfather and he took down several British ships in the American Revolution." 

"You directly descend from a PIRATE?" Josh turned to Abbey in awe. 

"CAPTAIN Thomas Weathergill happened to be a privateer. There is a distinction you know." Abbey's dander was definitely up now. She had as much pride in her illustrious family's history as any Bartlet and she did not like her ancestors being maligned. "When we went to war we didn't have a navy. Thomas was a shipping merchant and they commissioned him. There were over 1500 privateer ships compared to 64 in the navy and they captured over 2,000 British ships compared to 196. Without the privateers we might not have won the American Revolution." Abbey crossed her arms over her chest in a "take that" gesture. 

Her little history lesson had, however, fallen on deaf ears. Josh was still eyeing her speculatively, eyes glinting with keen interest. "A real pirate," he breathed. "That is so cool." 

Abbey rolled her eyes thinking how typical it was for a male to focus on that part of it. Jed certainly did often enough. "Oh for heaven's sake, let's just drop it." 

Jed did so, his eyes going back to the map. "Look at this, look at the detail. My God, he must have found damn near every offshoot of the Mississippi River all the way to the Gulf." 

Abbey bent down to look at it with Jed. "Lafitte made that map at the request of Andrew Jackson before the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812," she told him. "If it wasn't for the two of them, the British might have won the battle." 

"It's an amazing map, babe. Thank you." 

"You're very welcome." She bent down to kiss his forehead. 

**** 

" _Happy Birthday to you…_ " Abbey came out bearing a large cake covered with burning candles. The twins were skipping around her legs with excitement… " _Happy Birthday to you… Happy Birthday, Mr. President––Jed––DADDY! Happy Birthday to you._ " 

"Good Lord," Jed boomed. "I'm going to need a fire extinguisher to blow all these candles out." 

"We hep…We hep." Nicholas and Aislinn danced at his feet lifting their arms up to him. 

"Yup, I'm gonna need your help alright." He lifted both children onto his lap. 

"Maybe if you quit smoking, you might not need quite so much help," Abbey suggested with a smirk. 

"Oh," Jed's hand went to his heart. "You wound me, dear Abigail. Sticking your rapier sword straight into my heart just like the little pirate wench that you are." 

Abbey shook her head and ran a finger over the edge of the cake. "The truth often hurts, doesn't it, pookiebear?" She stuck the finger in her mouth sucking the icing off in a purely suggestive manner that did not go unnoticed by her husband. 

"I happen to have quit smoking in…" 

"Daaadddyyy," Aislinn tugged on his shirt impatiently. "Bo…bo…" 

"Okay, okay," he pinched her cheek. "On the count of three we blow them out together. One––two––three!" The three of them bent their fair heads toward the cake and blew the candles out to the cheers of everyone present. 

Bruno stood on the edge of the party; not quite participating but not exactly disengaged either. Unlike the other staffers, he hadn't been around the First Couple much and watching them interact was actually quite fascinating to him. Chemistry was something he had noted right from the very beginning, but the teasing and flirting was something that bespoke of genuine deep down affection. He'd worked for enough candidates – where the smiles were forced, the laughter canned and the children pulled out for photo-ops then sent back off to boarding school – to know that these two were the real thing. That Abbey and Jed Bartlet took as much joy from being with their children as they took in simply being together was becoming increasingly apparent to him, and, as much as it pissed him off to no end, he had complete and total respect for them wanting to keep all of their children's lives as private and normal as possible. Not that he was going to quit fighting that edict, but he did understand it. 

His normally taciturn face broke into a smile as he watched little Aislinn Bartlet bending her knees to the beat of the music that played over the boom box. Abbey caught sight of her, a maternal smile crossing her face. 

"You like this song, Aislinn?" she asked. Aislinn nodded and Abbey picked the little girl up, settled her on her hip and began to dance with her. 

"Hey," Jed protested. "That's my daughter you're corrupting there. She's a little young to learn about shaking her thing. What kind of music is this, anyway, Charlie?" 

"That's Sean Paul, sir," Charlie grinned. "The First Lady asked for pool party music." 

"Come on, Jed, loosen up." Abbey held a beckoning hand out to him. "Come shake your thing with us." 

"As much as I like any song that urges you to 'get it on till the early morn'," he winked, "I'm enjoying watching the two of you." 

It wasn't a cop out. The gratification and pleasure he took in watching his wife dancing with their little girl showed not only in the softness of his smile, but in the light that seemed to dance in his eyes. Bruno had seen the President in meetings and there were times when he had no idea of just what he was thinking, the man had a poker face that could fool the best of them. It was only with his family that he seemed to be such an open book. 

"Are you guys going out tonight?" CJ asked, as she approached Abbey with Nicholas in her arms. 

"No." Abbey smiled as she watched Nicholas yawn on CJ's shoulder and stuff his thumb in his mouth. "I think we're about partied out. We're going to go back to the room and spend a quiet night watching a movie with the kids." 

**** 

After a long day at the zoo and in the pool, the children were more than ready to settle down to watch a movie. Abbey and Jed changed into their jammies along with the kids and the four of them snuggled up in the big bed together with a large bowl of popcorn to watch _The Wizard of Oz_. By the time Dorothy had returned home to Auntie Em, Jed was snoring softly and both children were asleep, one tucked up under each of his arms their faces pressed into his ribs. Sitting up, Abbey marveled yet again at how easy it was to see the resemblance between the three with their blond heads so close together. Jed's bronze hair was a couple of shades darker than his two children's pale wheat, but they all had the same tawny eyelashes, the same curve to their mouths. Abbey reached out a gentle finger smoothing back unruly hair from their foreheads, her heart filling with a love so strong, so overpowering it brought tears to her eyes. 

She watched Nicky's thumb slip from his mouth and the way his lips pursed in a sucking motion just as they had when he was a baby and had fallen asleep at her nipple. They were growing up so fast now, becoming little people, not babies anymore. So it was with a tender pang that Abbey relished those little characteristics left over from babyhood and held them close to her heart. 

Feeling Nicholas moving beside him, Jed instinctively wrapped an arm more tightly around him, holding him close to his body in a gesture of pure protectiveness. 

"Jed?" Abbey ran a finger lightly up his thigh. 

"Hmm…what?" he asked without opening his eyes. 

"You fell asleep." 

"Just resting my eyes," he assured her. 

"Do you want to let the kids sleep in here with us tonight?" 

Jed woke then, his blue eyes blinking sleepily as he looked down at his offspring. 

"Normally, I'd say yes…buuuuttt… it is our last night here." 

"My sentiments exactly." 

"Great minds think alike." 

They each carried a child across the living room of their suite to the bedroom where their port-a-cribs had been set up. It had almost been a clean get away, but just as they reached the door to leave the bedroom Aislinn awakened with a petulant whine. 

"Mama…" 

"I'm right here, sweetheart," Abbey called out softly. "Go back to sleep." 

"Dink…" 

"I'll get her some water," Jed said. "It'll give you time to change into one of those 'special garments'" 

"Why? So you can rip it off?" 

"That's half the fun, Mon ami." 

**** 

Abbey returned to their bedroom with every intention of changing into one of the sexy negligees she had purchased at "Diva's" but the sound of rain pattering on the bricks of the courtyard called out to her. She opened the doors to the balcony inhaling the scent of the warm sweet rain. This tropical rainfall was so different from the showers back home. It would not sweep away all the heat and leave everything feeling clean, cool and crisp in its wake; instead, the air would only suck up all the moistness, making everything even more oppressively humid than had been to start. But, for now, in this moment, the droplets were cool, beckoning her out onto the balcony. 

She stood for a minute; her face lifted toward the sky, letting the soft drops cool her. 

"Abbey? What are you doing out there? It's pouring." 

She heard her husband enter the room and turned to step in off the balcony. 

Jed swallowed tightly at the sight that she made coming in out of the rain. Her long wet hair was slicked back off her face just the way that always turned him on. The simple knee length white cotton nightgown was soaking wet molding to her curves better than any lacy confection from Victoria's Secret. It clung to her hardened nipples in a way that made Jed ache just looking at them. 

His eyes were hard, glittering, the way he moved toward her predatory. 

"Do I look like I want to devour you?" he asked, running a thumb over her full lower lip. 

"Yes," she whispered huskily. 

"Good, because I do." 

He bent his head abruptly, his mouth circling over one of those pebble hard nipples. Abbey groaned, threading her fingers through his hair as he began to suckle her, drinking in the moisture from the fabric then teasing the peak with little nips from his teeth. He continued to sweetly torment her with his mouth while he bunched up her nightgown in his fists. He stopped suckling her for one moment while he lifted the gown quickly up over her head so that she stood before him, nude, save for a pair of skimpy peach colored panties. 

He sank to his knees before her, sliding his arms around her legs to run his fingers up and down the backs of her knees and up her thighs until he couldn't resist the temptation anymore and he leaned forward to kiss at the soft curls that were hidden by her panties. 

He heard Abbey's sharp intake of breath, felt her legs weaken as he continued to nuzzle her through the fabric. He felt her hands move to his head, felt her fingers continue to thread even harder through his hair and when he pushed the panties aside to slide a finger into her moist depths, she nearly yanked him bald. 

"Jeeeeddd," she pleaded. Her legs and belly were quivering now. 

"Tell me what you want, pirate wench." His voice was gruff with hunger. 

"You…I want you to take me." 

Jed nodded. His role was clear. He was to be in command tonight. He lifted her into his arms in scene out of any pirate fantasy and dropped her unceremoniously onto the bed so that he could undress. Abbey felt a thrill course through her as she watched him. She had just given her husband carte blanche and she wondered just what he was going to do with her. It was a safe fantasy, for she knew he'd never truly hurt her, but exciting nonetheless. 

He joined her on the bed, but when she reached for his heavy, throbbing penis, he grabbed her wrist. 

"You're supposed to be afraid of me," he grumbled, pulling her arms up over her head and pinning them there. 

"Sorry," she tried to hide her grin. "Please, Mr. horrible, cruel, nasty pirate," her voice was pure Scarlett O'Hara. "Don't stick that big ol' thing inside me. Why I swear you'll just split me in two." 

"I am going to put it inside you." It was hard to be gruff when he was trying to keep from laughing. "And you're gonna LIKE it. You're going to be begging me for it before I'm through with you." 

"But I'm a good girl…" Abbey protested, fluttering her lashes. 

"I'll just bet you are, gorgeous. And you're gonna show me just HOW good you are." His mouth moved back to her breast where he proceeded to flick his tongue over her nipple again and again. 

"SIR!" Abbey bit her lip… "I…I just can't allow you to take such liberties. I… I…ohhhhh…." She was cut off as Jed slid his hand inside her panties expertly finding her clitoris and giving it a soft massage. 

"You like that, don't you, sugarplum?" 

"No…no, I don't…"Abbey's squirming hips belied her playacting. 

"Don't LIE to me." In the struggle to keep her close to him Jed found himself pressed up against her back. 

"Abbey?" He wasn't playacting now. He'd never take her this way without permission, especially in this kind of scenario. 

"Yes, Jed," she exhaled softly. "However you want." 

It was a testament to the trust they had built over the years that Abbey was able to allow this. 

Jed flipped her onto her stomach and, no longer feigning a struggle, Abbey drew her knees up lifting her hips for him. Jed groaned at the vulnerability of the position, at how delectable the offering was to him. He hooked a finger in each side of her silky panties and slowly slid them down over her hips; his lips pressing into the soft flesh that he exposed. So soft he thought, so succulent. She'd teased him about wanting to devour her, but, good Lord, that was exactly what he wanted to do. 

Abbey felt his teeth nipping lightly on her rear and the ache to have him inside her was nearly unbearable. 

With her panties discarded, Jed kneeled behind her. Unable to take her abruptly or roughly this way, he began to run his fingers lightly up and down her spine. Abbey turned her head, her hair falling to the side as she gazed back at him over her shoulder. 

"Now, Jed…please…" 

It was exactly what Jed had been waiting to hear. He grasped her hips in his hands and slid deeply inside her. 

Abbey continued to watch him make love to her from behind, his strong tanned hands digging forcefully into the pale flesh of her hips, his hair falling over his forehead, his jaw straining as if he were in pain. The one thing that she hated about this position was that she was unable to touch him, unable to dig her fingers into his arms and her heels into his back. There was, however, something powerfully erotic about watching him thrust into her this way and she tried to watch him for as long as she could. But, as he shifted his position to pull her to him moving to the deepest point of penetration she buried her face into the sheets giving herself up to the building pleasure. She felt Jed curl over her, his chest hair tickling her back, his lips playing across her shoulders until they finally settled at the delicate nape of her neck, sucking gently. While he continued to thrust slowly and steadily, she was one mass of sensation. She felt his lips move along her cheek, his breath warm against her ear as he told her over and over just how good she felt to him. Her nipples were rubbing sensuously against the satin sheets, the friction of his fullness inside her building in intensity. And when his own body was ready to lose control, his hand slid around to her front, his fingers circling gently over her clitoris, then harder as he felt her start to climax, her muffled cries filling the room. His own orgasm was groaned out into her shoulder, his teeth clamping down as she had done to him the other day. 

He lay on top of her for a few moments trying to catch his breath, feeling her doing the same beneath him. Finally regaining a measure of sanity he rolled onto his side, taking her with him. His hands continued to play over her skin, feeling the quivering ripples of the aftershocks that continued to pulse through her. 

"Well…Sir…" Abbey reached a hand back to run over his thigh. "I fear you have just completely destroyed my reputation." 

Jed grinned pressing his lips to her earlobe. "Well then there's only one thing to do, I guess. I'll have to make an honest woman out of you." 

"Mama… Maaa…ma…" it was a sleepy cry over the monitor. 

"MAMA!" Jed feigned horror. "You told me you were an untouched virgin." 

"I lied," Abbey grinned, sliding out of his arms to slip into her robe. "I'm actually married to the President of the United States and I believe he mentioned something about having anyone I might have an affair with beheaded, so if I were you I'd run before he gets back and finds you in my bed." 

Jed laughed as he watched her sashay out of their room to go and check on Nicholas. He rolled over looking for the boxer shorts he had discarded on the floor earlier, for, chances were, she would end up bringing the boy back into bed with them so he wouldn't wake his sister. Oh well, at least the kid's timing was getting better. If that cry had been ten minutes earlier he might not be in such a generous mood to share his bed with him. 


	9. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Jed stood in the courtyard eyeing his watch impatiently. They were going to be late for Mass if Abbey didn't get down there soon. He knew he should have waited in their bedroom where he could have prodded her on. She, however, hated to be rushed when she was dressing and had booted him out to wait for her downstairs. 

Finally, she entered the courtyard in a slim celery colored sleeveless sheath and matching heels. Her hair was pulled back into a neat French twist. This coolly elegant Abbey was just another side of his wife's personality. Even now, after all these years of marriage, it could still make Jed shake his head with wonder to think that this was the same woman who had played with him so passionately in bed last night. To see her presented like this to the world – the fine lady with her upswept hair and pearls – and to know that only he could make her lose that composure, that only he knew what she was like behind closed doors, filled him with a puffed up sense of male satisfaction. 

"The kids aren't going with you to Mass?" CJ asked, upon bumping into them leaving. 

"They're not exactly church broke yet," Abbey told her. 

"Church broke?" 

"Able to sit through Mass without creating a ruckus," Jed added. "Back home when we had a new baby one of us could sit in the children's room with the little ones. They could play and we could still hear the sermon, but I don't know if St. Louis Cathedral has a children's room. Not that it seems like that church has ever been all that discriminating." 

"Now what are you talking about?" Abbey's brow furrowed. 

"Don't you remember what Rhonda told us? Marie Leveau, the voodoo priestess, used to worship at the cathedral. In fact, I've heard she even gave advice to some of the priests." 

"Well, there was a lot of that down here, Jed. Voodoo and Catholicism were very much linked together, at least in this part of the world." 

"Really?" CJ was surprised. As a Catholic, she hadn't known that. Thoughts of a little Rob Ritchie voodoo doll caused her to smile. 

"Well, I suppose it's no different than Christianity taking quite liberally from Pagan worship. Did you know that many of our holidays were actually pagan…" 

"Jed," Abbey tugged on his arm. "We don't have time for you to give CJ an entire lecture on pagans and Christians. Let's go." 

"NOW she worries about the time," he grumbled. "Time didn't seem to matter when she was deciding between gold or pearls or what…" 

Abbey reached a hand out from the sedan, yanking him in next to her. 

"Another time, CJ!" he called out just as his door was shut. 

Once in the sedan Jed leaned his head back staring out the window pensively. Picking up on his suddenly more somber mood, Abbey took his hand. 

"Is something wrong, Jed?" 

"Not really, no. I guess I just really enjoyed the past couple of days. This was a great way to recharge my batteries." 

"Oh, is that what we're calling it now?" she teased. 

"You know what I mean," he smiled sadly. "Just spending time with you away from the spotlight, and then getting to have yesterday with the kids was really great. I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time. But, now you're off to Detroit and I'll only see you briefly in St. Louis for the 'Catholic Youth' speech before we'll be going our separate ways again." 

"Well, that might not be happening as soon as you think." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, there was a little more to my deal with Bruno than the photo-op with the kids at the zoo." 

"What else is going on?" 

"You know that bus trip that you're taking from here to St. Louis?" 

"Yes." 

"Well, there's been a slight change of plans. You're not going on the bus tour and I'm not going up to Detroit. We're both going on a riverboat up the Mississippi River to St. Louis." 

"What? Why wasn't I told about this?" 

"Don't go getting all bent out of shape. I wanted to surprise you. Your campaign staff thought that it would be very unique campaign trip and would drive a lot of media attention. Bus tours have been done. Whistle stop train trips have been done. But can you remember the last time a candidate running for President sailed up the river that divides the country into east and west? What could be more nostalgic Americana than floating like Huck Finn on the Mississippi? Yeah, it might be a little hokey, but America loves hokey." 

"You hate hokey." 

"Yeah," she smiled slyly. "But I like the idea of traveling on a riverboat." 

"What about Natchez? Vicksburg? Memphis?" 

"You'll still have all your speeches and rallies. You'll still visit the battleground and cemetery and St. Judes, but instead of being alone, you'll have me by your side." 

"Really?" He lifted a brow with surprise. "What happened to keeping my too brilliant, too sexy, too educated, too liberal, too feminist wife north of the Mason-Dixon Line?" 

"We decided that not all southerners are narrow minded morons." 

"WE decided?" 

"Yeah, we. Me and CJ." 

"That's what I figured. You scare the shit out of my male staffers; they never quite know what to do with you." 

"Well, I hate to tell them, but the days of candidates wives who stand behind their men with their mouths shut are almost over." 

"With Abbey Bartlet leading the pack?" 

"You're damned straight." 

**** 

Traveling up river on the _Creole Queen_ had proven right from the start to be an inspired decision, both for the Bartlet family and for the Bartlet campaign. Once they left New Orleans behind there were long stretches of quiet forests and empty farmland forming a natural habitat that was irresistible to local wildlife. Abbey stood on the deck absorbing the natural beauty with her children. Every so often she pointed out a muskrat swimming in the murky brown depths, a pelican standing at attention on a tree stump, a blue heron balancing on one leg while looking for fish in the shallow water at the rivers edge and even wary deer who eyed them nervously from the muddy banks. The children were enthralled with the whole expedition, but as fascinated as they were by the animals, they were equally fascinated by the big paddle wheel at the back of the boat that churned tobacco colored water into white foam. 

It was easy during those quiet peaceful miles for Abbey to forget just why they were on the boat trip to begin with. It was only when they approached small towns and re-touched civilization that she was forced to remember the job at hand. 

As they got closer to the towns, cheering crowds of people began to line the river bluffs to watch the President and his family pass. They came in all colors, ages and socioeconomic status – black and white, farmers and businessmen, young and old, and the greatest photo-op of all, women with young children who waved small American flags at the passing boat. Color guards stood at attention with high school bands that played _The Stars and Stripes Forever_ and other John Philip Sousa favorites and CJ and Bruno could hardly contain their glee. They might actually be beating the Republicans at their own game this time. 

Incredibly moved by the vision of these crowds who had waited all day for them to pass, Abbey took pictures to remember what a grand moment in their personal history that this was. Campaigning had often become a blur to her, a chore, but this trip up the Mississippi was something that she would never forget. 

As they approached each town, she and Jed stood on the deck acknowledging the cheers and waving to the crowds – sometimes with the children and sometimes alone – and all along the way the press ate it up. The Bartlet campaign could not have asked for more wholesome publicity than they were getting. 

As the boat traveled north, closer to Natchez, Mississippi, the woods opened to farmland and huge antebellum plantation houses. While Jed spent the afternoon in strategy sessions and the children napped, Abbey stood leaning over the rail watching the seemingly endless fields of cotton pass them by. She saw dusty lanes lined by large live oaks dripping Spanish moss that lead to the grand Civil War era homes and felt as if she should be wearing a hoop skirt and carrying a parasol. History was as touchable here as it was back home in New England. 

Past Natchez, further north, the _Creole Queen_ docked for the first time in Vicksburg, a city primarily known for the major civil war battle fought there. The First Couple toured the battlefield, after which the President spoke to a crowd of veterans at the cemetery, while the First Lady toured a local preschool. 

Later in the afternoon after spending time with several veterans groups, Jed made his way back to the boat. 

"Is Abbey back yet?" he asked, upon seeing Lily Mays walking towards him on the deck. 

"She's been back for a little while. I believe she's giving the children a bath." 

Jed nodded and made his way toward their stateroom. 

"Sir, you have an interview with Michael Stevens of _Newsweek_ in fifteen minutes," CJ frowned. 

"CJ, I'm aware of my schedule. Don't worry. I'll be on time." 

CJ flashed him a skeptical look and turned to Charlie. 

"I'll make sure he's on time," Charlie grinned. 

Jed could hear his family long before he opened the bathroom door. He heard shrieking, splashing, laughter, and the frazzled voice of his wife trying to keep everything under control. An evil little smile crossed his face as he noticed the small palm camcorder Abbey had been using to record family moments. He picked it up on his way to the bathroom and began recording as he opened the door. 

"Coming to you live from the _Creole Queen_ we give you tonight's feature presentation 'Bathtime with the Bartlets'…" Jed panned the trashed bathroom taking in everything. Aislinn was running around naked, a towel hanging from one shoulder. Plastic toys were strewn all over the small room and his not so amused wife was kneeling amongst the toys in a puddle of water while Nicholas, who still sat in the tub, squirted her from behind with a little rubber ducky giggling with mirth when he hit his target. "As we can see, Mrs. Bartlet, who this reporter has to comment, has a mighty fine rack and is looking like a candidate right out of a wet T-shirt contest, seems to have things well under control…" Jed ducked as a wet washcloth was thrown his way, then lifted Aislinn onto his arm, her little naked bottom resting on his forearm. 

"The Bartlet twins are certainly not the wild little hooligans the Republican right has led us to bel…" He stopped abruptly, his eyes closing with a grimace as he felt the warmth penetrate through his shirt to his skin. 

"Aislinn, how could you?" He opened his eyes and gazed down into his daughter's guileless eyes. 

"Pee-pee." she giggled, patting her chubby little hands against his cheeks. 

"You did go pee-pee alright. All over Daddy, and not for the first time may I remind you." He lifted her away from his body and Abbey burst into laughter at the sight of the wet dark stain on his shirt. 

"It's not funny," he grumbled. 

"Oh, I beg to differ, Mr. Cronkite. I think that little bit of divine justice was quite humorous indeed. Now instead of continuing on with that wonderful commentary, why don't you help me and put Aislinn's diaper on so she doesn't pee anywhere else." 

"I can't. I have an interview in…shi–" 

"JED!" Abbey cut him off. 

"Crap," he conceded. "I'm supposed to be in the front salon in five minutes." 

"Looks like you're going to be late." 

"You think?" He flashed her a sarcastic look and began unbuttoning his shirt. Before he could finish there was a knock at the door. 

"Mr. President…" 

"Go away, Charlie." 

"Mr. President." This time it was Leo and CJ. 

"Don't come in here any of you. Abbey's naked." 

Abbey rolled her eyes at him and then shook her head at the dead silence on the other side of the door, knowing very well that they believed Jed and that their past behavior had given them every reason to believe that they might be naked even at this time of day. 

"I'm not naked," Abbey called out. "You can come in." 

CJ and Leo entered the room, eyes widening as they watched Abbey run out of the bathroom chasing her laughing, naked toddlers, while Jed followed them with a sigh of resignation as he wiped at his torso with a towel. 

"Mr. President," CJ said urgently. "Why aren't you dressed? You have a meeting in five minutes." 

"Do you think that I'm unaware of that, Claudia Jean? I may forget names but my memory is sharp as tack." 

"Well, as much as the females of America might enjoy it, I really wasn't expecting you to show up flashing a little beefcake for the _Newsweek_ photographer." 

Leo tried to keep from grinning, but amusement danced in his eyes as he caught Abbey's speculative smile. 

"Believe it or not I am planning on changing." 

"The shirt you were wearing was fine." 

"Yeah, it was, until I picked up Aislinn and she peed on me." He began sifting through the closet for another shirt. 

At that statement Leo couldn't contain his mirth. "This isn't the first time that she's peed on you, is it?" 

"No," he sighed. "And it probably isn't the last. We haven't even started thinking about potty training yet. I guess I better plan on placing a large order of dress shirts to prepare for the day." 

Abbey had caught Nicholas and laid him on a towel on the bed to begin diapering him but when she made a swipe at her daughter she missed her. Aislinn laughed with glee at having made it past her mother and made a beeline toward CJ and the door they had left open to the deck. 

"CJ, grab her!" Abbey called out. 

CJ instinctively bent and scooped up the streaking child. "Nice try, kiddo, but you aren't going to make it past old Auntie CJ." CJ inhaled the scent of freshly cleaned baby. She recognized the Johnson's baby shampoo from when she had bathed them herself, but there was another unfamiliar scent. "She smells really good, what is it?" 

"Lavender," Abbey smiled. "They actually make calming lavender bubble bath for kids now. It's supposed to work like aromatherapy does – you know, relax and calm them." 

"Down…down…" Aislinn squirmed stiffening her body in an effort to be put down. 

"Sorry to say, but I don't think it's working. If I were you I'd ask for my money back," CJ grinned, then looked down at the little girl in her arms. "My God, for a little one you have as many arms and legs as an octopus." She dropped Aislinn on the bed next to her brother. Aislinn sat for a moment watching her mother slide a diaper under Nicholas' bottom then gave her an impish grin before beginning to scoot on her butt toward the edge of the bed. Once there, she flipped onto her belly to slide off the edge and had almost succeeded when Jed grabbed her and plunked her back down next to Abbey. 

"You need to sit still and wait for you mother to put your diaper on." He affected his stern fatherly voice. "See," he turned to Leo and CJ. "You just have to be firm with kids, give them a little discipline and they'll fall in line." 

CJ and Leo noted with amusement that the firm discipline of her father didn't seem to work on the tiny girl. She merely flashed her dimples at him, grabbed the tie he had set down on the bed and began to scamper away with it. 

"You were saying…" CJ grinned, arms crossed over her chest. 

"Aislinn, give Daddy back his tie," Jed cajoled. As he started to climb on the bed to crawl after her Abbey's voice stopped the antics of her daughter. 

"Aislinn, that's quite enough," Abbey said, firmly. "You give Daddy back his tie and you sit right here next to Nicholas while I finish." 

Aislinn gave her a mutinous expression, but when Abbey's glance didn't waver she gave up and began crawling back over the bed. 

"Binkie," Aislinn's lip quivered. "Wan binkie." 

Abbey reached into the diaper bag and searched one handed for her daughter's pacifier. An exchange was made, the binkie for the tie, and Aislinn sat quietly sucking away. 

"I don't know, Mr. President. Looks like Abbey's got one up on you." Leo grinned. 

"Naw, she had to resort to the binkie." 

Jed stepped back at the look Abbey flashed him. "Not that that's a bad thing," he amended to keep himself out of trouble. 

"Why don't I finish him up for you and you can get started on Ash," CJ offered. 

"What about your meeting?" 

"There isn't a meeting without the President." She eyed Jed who was buttoning up the new shirt he had finally decided on. "So I think I'm good for a few minutes anyway." 

Jed acknowledged the dig with a smirk and continued to button his shirt. 

"Don't forget the powder, CJ." he warned. "He's had a diaper rash for the past couple of days." 

"I think I passed Diaper 101 when I spent a whole night babysitting for you this summer. Right, Nicky?" She leaned down to kiss the baby boy's forehead. "You tell your daddy that I'm not some dumb flunky here." 

"Funky," Nicholas grinned, grabbing at the pink bottle of Caldesene talc powder that lay beside him. 

"Uh, if I can interrupt Home Ec class here, we have a reporter from _Newsweek_ twiddling his thumbs in the salon." Bruno's gratingly nasal voice was tinged with its usual sarcasm. 

"Let the vulture twiddle," Jed grumbled. Other than Danny Concannon and a VERY few select others, the President despised reporters. 

"Mr. President." CJ lifted at brow at him as she closed the last tab on Nicky's diaper and watched him crawl across the bed to Abbey. The little boy waited patiently while his mother dug into the diaper bag for an iced animal cookie, then leaned back against the headboard to begin gnawing on it. She was forever trying to force him to have more respect for the press. 

"Okay, let the predator wait. Sorry, CJ, predator is as high on the classification tables that I'll go." 

"It's progress, anyway." She fell into line behind Bruno, Leo and the President as they made their way to the salon. 

Abbey watched them leave with a feeling of relief. The twins were always better behaved when things were less chaotic, and on the campaign trail that was next to never. Already they were calming down leaning against each other while they munched on their animal cookies. 

She made her way back over the bed and clapped her hands together. "Okay, who wants to learn how to play 'Candyland'?" she asked brightly. 

"Me! Me! Me!" Both children began to bounce on the bed with excitement. 

**** 

It was yet another hot southern night on the river, but not quite as stifling as New Orleans had been. Abbey braced herself against the rail allowing the river breeze to lift her hair and cool her neck. She inhaled the earthy scent of the wide muddy river and watched the twinkling lights from the towns they passed. The night was peaceful, but certainly not quiet. Frogs croaked from the reeds at the edge of the river, water sloshed from the large paddle wheel, and the faint sounds of music from the towns played over the boat on the breeze. 

She had thought about spending the night relaxing with a nice glass of wine and a good book while Jed played poker on the deck with his staff, but had decided against the idea. She enjoyed playing cards and did so often on campaign trips, but back at the White House poker night was guy's night, well other than CJ, anyway. It was a chance for Jed to bond, although he hated that word, with his staff as a man rather than their boss. Abbey usually used the night to have a girl's night out with Millie when she was in town, or catch a movie with Zoey in the White House theater, or simply spend the evening pampering herself with facials, long sudsy bubble baths, Mozart, and a book in front of the fireplace. Tonight, however, she decided it was time to do some bonding of her own. She had been butting heads quite a bit with Bruno and decided it was time that he got to know her, so, to that end she made her way to the back of the boat. 

Heads lifted as Abbey approached the poker table. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a faded "Save the Whales" T-shirt, her formidable First Lady persona gone with the change of wardrobe. 

"Twins go down okay?" Jed asked. He was squinting at his cards and gnawing on the end of an unlit cigar like some riverboat gambler of the past, and as usual was completely, adorably sexy. So adorable that Abbey had to restrain herself from tousling his hair in front of his friends. 

"Yeah. It only took three stories, two glasses of water and a frantic search for Tigger, who Nicholas thought might have fallen overboard." 

"Did he?" Jed's eyes widened, knowing they were in for a long night if his son's favorite stuffed animal was floating down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. 

"No, he had put him under the counter in the bathroom." 

"Under the counter?" Josh gave them a puzzled look. 

"So he wouldn't get wet," Abbey and Jed explained at the same time. 

"Well then," Jed looked up at his wife. "Did you come over to bring me some luck?" 

Abbey bent over to peer at his cards and Bruno couldn't help but note that the First Lady certainly did fill out a pair of jeans quite nicely. 

"No, I didn't come to bring you luck, I came to play." 

"No girls allowed," Josh said automatically. 

"Thanks, Josh. What the hell am I?" CJ pushed her baseball cap back off her forehead and glared indignantly at Josh. 

"Sorry Ceej, sometimes I forget…" 

"Finish that sentence and die." 

"I was just going to say…" 

"That sometimes you forget that I'm a woman. Thank you, Josh. I can't tell you what wonders that does for my self-esteem." 

"CJ, I never forget that you're a woman," Sam offered. 

"Suck up," Josh grumbled. 

"Children, children, let's be nice to each other here. I wouldn't want to have to put anyone in time out." Jed passed a glance over all of them then looked up at Abbey in the form fitting T-shirt, knowing there was no way that anyone could forget that she was anything but all woman. "And you, my delectable little wife…" He pulled her down onto his lap nuzzling into her neck until she laughingly forced him to stop. "… are going to keep your gorgeous little posterior right here on my lap until I win this hand. Then you can play." 

Abbey took a swig from Jed's beer and grabbed a cigar sticking it between her teeth. "Sounds fair to me." 


	10. Everyday Is a Winding Road

CJ sat on the edge of the bed going over the message of the day with the First Lady, pretending not to notice what the other woman was doing as she was seated at her vanity table. She wasn't, however, blind or stupid. She knew exactly what Abbey was doing as she tenderly probed the reddened delicate skin around her mouth and knew exactly how she had gotten that whisker burn. It was quite evident that the President and First Lady had continued their own little private party back in their stateroom after the storm had hit and broken up the poker party. 

CJ glanced with amusement around the room noticing the broken vase on the floor next to the curtains that Abbey had pulled from the rods when she came while having sex with Jed in the chair by the window. 

"Damn." She heard Abbey mutter as she searched for a bottle of cream then began to smooth it into her skin. She surveyed herself from side to side in the mirror and muttered another oath. 

"CJ, would you mind grabbing my cosmetic bag from the bathroom?" she asked. 

"Not a problem, ma'am." CJ grinned to herself as she made her way to the bathroom, then came back to watch Abbey try to cover the rash with beige cover up. 

"What do you think?" Abbey turned to face her husband's press secretary. 

"I think the President should have shaved his five o'clock shadow." 

There was dead silence as Abbey stared with a raised eyebrow at the taller woman and CJ wondered if she had overstepped her boundaries. She held her breath for a moment but then Abbey started to laugh. 

"You wanna tell him that?" 

"Uh, no, ma'am. I think I'll leave that up to you." 

"Chicken. But, don't worry, I'll let him know that it was your suggestion." 

"Appreciate that, ma'am," CJ smirked. 

"Not a problem." Abbey grabbed her tube of cream and made her way to the bathroom. CJ didn't need to know that there were other areas of her body that were equally chafed. 

**** 

The crowd that had gathered at the Memphis dock to greet the _Creole Queen_ cheered loudly. The upbeat strains of _Walking in Memphis_ blared from the loudspeakers and, finally, the President and First Lady began to disembark. Gone were Jed and Abbey – the everyday couple in jeans and t-shirts, playing poker, drinking beer, cussing like sailors, and enjoying off color politically incorrect jokes – and in their place was a dignified, very presidential couple who waved to the frenzied crowd and smiled for photographers. 

> _"They've got catfish on the table_  
>  They've got gospel in the air   
> And Reverend Green be glad to see you   
> when you haven't got a prayer   
> But boy you've got a prayer in Memphis"

The music continued long after the couple had entered the sedan and left the enthusiastic rally far behind for a more somber visit to St. Jude Children's hospital. Both Abbey and Jed had been to the non-profit Catholic hospital before – had, in fact, helped raise money for it long before Jed had become involved in politics – but that didn't make this visit any easier. 

It was never easy to see young children sick, especially in a hospital that catered only to cases that were considered terminal. Abbey had, in fact, seriously entertained the idea of going into pediatrics when she had made the decision to become a doctor. A heart wrenching rotation in Pediatrics as an intern had turned her away from that specialty and toward a career that she was less likely to take home with her. Maybe it was because she had already had a child by the time she did her rotation, but every time she saw a crying, sick child, she saw Elizabeth and the empathy with the child's parent was almost more than she could bear. Ultimately, she still did surgery on children but most often those were the hardest cases of all and the ones that she brought home to the farm. 

Still, in most of the children that they met, the one thing that was apparent was the hope shining in their hollowed out dark circled eyes. Many were bald and walked with IV's attached to their wrists, but all were certain that they were going to survive. It was the parents' eyes that held all the pain and despair; the parents who wept for their children's lives. 

Abbey watched her husband kneel before a seated woman who had just broken down after telling them the story of her young son's fight with a virulent form of lymphoma and her lack of medical insurance. She watched him take the woman's hands between his and the soft compassion in his eyes and heard him voicing the power of prayer and faith. He was so much better in these situations than she was. Watching him like this was a chance for her to see that side of her husband that would have made an excellent priest. There were too many other sides to him that would have made him a disaster to the priesthood, but this earnest, compassionate, optimistic side made him as much of a healer as even she, with all her vast medical knowledge. 

She watched him slide into a surgical gown to hold a young baby girl probably just a few months younger than Aislinn. He ignored the tubes that ran from her body to IV poles and held her tightly to his chest while he rocked her, much as he had Zoey after her premature birth. She heard the wonderful soft tones of his voice as he sang to the ill child the same songs that he sang to Nicholas and to Aislinn. She saw the wetness of his lashes when he finally lifted his face to gaze into her own tear filled eyes. Their eyes stayed locked for a long moment of silent communication both knowing what the other was thinking, "There but for the grace of God, go I." 

Abbey placed a hand on his shoulder as she watched him swallow convulsively to restrain his emotions. 

"Mrs. Bartlet, they're ready for you now." Lily Mays poked her head into the room and Abbey nodded. This was the real reason that they were here in the first place. 

**** 

Abbey entered the room quietly seeing the young 11-year-old girl with the kerchief on her head lying back with her eyes closed. 

"Sarah?" 

The young girl's weary eyes opened and slowly a bright smile played across her face as she saw who was in her room. 

"You came," she said with awe. "You really came." 

"Did you really think that I could resist such a nice letter?" 

"Did you come because my mother told you I was going to die?" 

Abbey was startled by how forthright the girl was, but she saw the fear lurking in her tired brown eyes. 

"No way." Abbey took her hand. "I came because you told me that you want to be a doctor when you grow up and we really need more good women doctors." 

"I want to be just like you when I grow up. I even have red hair, you know. Well, I did before the chemo." She touched a hand a bit self consciously to the kerchief on her head. "And I read in that book about you that you hated your freckles, too." 

"That part actually happens to be true," Abbey smiled at the reference to one of the many unauthorized biographies written about her. "But, you learn to live with them and you know what? A lot of boys actually like them. My husband does." 

"My dad doesn't like your husband." 

"Is that so?" Abbey smiled softly at the censure in the girl's voice. "And he didn't mind you writing to me?" 

"No, he thinks you're real pretty but he just doesn't like liberal eggheads. What does that mean, anyway?" 

Abbey had to bite back her laughter. "It means he doesn't like open minded smart people which is probably why he doesn't like my husband." 

"No," the girl smiled shyly. "I think he doesn't like the President because my mom thinks he's cute." 

"Really?" Abbey shared a conspiratorial smile. 

"Yeah, she's always saying how good looking he is, even better looking than JFK. She's always going on about what nice hair he has and how beautiful his eyes are and how cute he is with your babies. She thinks he's a very nice man. You won't tell her I told you that, will you?" The girl looked very worried that she might have embarrassed her mother. 

"Don't worry, it'll be our secret." Abbey noticed Lily poke her head in tapping at her watch and Abbey turned back to the girl. "Well, it looks as if it's time for me to leave, but there is something that I want to give you." She dug into her bag and pulled out a stethoscope. "This is the first stethoscope I was ever given in medical school." 

"And you're giving it to me?" The girl's eyes widened with awe. "For real?" 

"For real." Abbey smiled tenderly and ran a hand over her kerchiefed head. "You can use it when you go to medical school." 

"Oh, man, I can't believe this. This is so cool. Thank you so much." 

"You're very welcome." Abbey hugged the child, swallowing past the lump in her throat. Her eyes were still glazed with tears as she left room and nearly bumped into Sarah's parents. 

"Oh, God bless you for coming," Sarah's mother cried. "It's all she's been talking about for months. You're her role model. She makes me buy all the magazines that have you on the cover and she's always flipping to C-SPAN to catch any speeches that you make." 

"She's a very special little girl. She's going to make a wonderful doctor some day." 

Abbey didn't miss the glance that passed between husband and wife. 

"We sure hope so, ma'am," said Sarah's father. 

Abbey saw the woman's gaze move to the many agents who were filling the far end of the hall. 

"Are those all your agents?" she asked. 

"Not mine. I believe that's my husband down there. Would you like me to introduce you?" 

"Could you?" the woman breathed, her eyes alight with anticipation. 

Abbey chanced a glance at the scowl on the face of the man standing beside her. "Of course I can." Before she trailed off behind Sarah's mother Abbey leaned into the man, "That was for the liberal egghead remark," she whispered, and with an impish smile, not unlike her daughter Aislinn's, she walked away toward her husband's entourage. 

Hot damn, Marvin Larochelle thought with a grin. That pretty lady was all right, even for a liberal egghead. 

**** 

Unable to sleep, CJ slipped into her bathrobe and made her way toward the galley. She'd had a particularly disturbing phone call from her father and rather than simply tossing and turning she thought she'd try some warm milk. 

As she passed the salon, the soothing sound of a male's deep voice singing softly stopped her for a moment and she peeked in through the door. She smiled as she saw the President rocking his son, his fingers stroking the boy's silky blond hair back off his forehead. Nicholas was wearing his "Blue's Clue's" pajamas, the top riding up to reveal the pale skin of his belly. He was barely holding onto his bottle with one hand and his head lolled against his father's chest where the President's bathrobe gaped open. 

In the past CJ's thoughts of motherhood had been few and far between, but there was something about the Bartlet children that brought these tender maternal instincts she'd never known that she possessed to the forefront and she wasn't sure if she liked that or not. She had come to love those two adorable children, but on the other hand she didn't like to be reminded of a biological clock that had never bothered her before. As she turned to leave father and son in peace, the President looked up and noticed her, motioning for her to enter. 

"Won't we wake him?" she whispered. 

Nicky's head turned, his eyes blinking sleepily at her and CJ worried that she may have awakened him. 

"Nah, he's pretty much out." Jed smiled down at the boy whose battle against sleep was finally lost as his eyes closed and his head fell back against him heavily. "So, why are you wandering around the boat at this hour? Not sneaking down to where the press corps is staying, are you?" 

CJ gazed sharply up to see the twinkle in his eye. "You've been talking to your wife." 

"She IS pretty convinced that Danny Concannon is the man for you." 

"Well, I certainly wasn't sneaking down for a little rendezvous with Danny. I was on my way to the galley for a mug of warm milk." 

"Can't sleep?" 

CJ shook her head negatively. 

"Anything we can do to help?" 

"No," CJ sighed. "Just the same old stuff from back home." 

"Your father?" 

"Yeah. He has good days and bad days but lately it seems like there are way more bad than good." 

"You ever need to talk, Abbey and I are here." 

"I know." CJ fought the tears that threatened at the President's simple offer of friendship, then ran a finger over Nicky's bare foot to keep the President from seeing. "So," she finally looked back up at him. "I guess Nicky couldn't sleep either, huh?" 

"Well," Jed's look turned sheepish. "I probably could have gotten him back to sleep with a few pats on the back but the truth is I wanted him to wake up." 

"You wanted him awake in the middle of the night?" 

"The kids were already asleep when we finally got back from Memphis." 

Finally, it hit CJ why he needed to hold his child – St. Jude's. "You were feeling blue after the visit to the children's hospital," she nodded her head knowingly. 

"And extremely grateful. We've been so lucky, CJ. None of our kids has ever had anything other than normal childhood illnesses. It's hard to think of what I'd do if Nicky or Aislinn were sick like that. The look in the eyes of those sick children's parents haunts me. God, I never want know that look. I never want to see that kind of despair in my wife's eyes." CJ heard the break in his voice that the cough he used to cover it didn't quite hide. 

He stared down with intense eyes at the boy who slept on his chest and CJ could almost feel the fierceness of his love emanating from him. She watched the President try to pull the bottle away from Nicky's mouth, but even in sleep the boy was not letting go. He immediately drew the nipple back into his mouth and suckled hard for a few moments. 

"He's always been a greedy little drinker." The pride in his only male offspring was quite evident in the grin that spread across the President's face. 

"He is strong," CJ nodded with agreement. 

"You two don't know the half of it," Abbey told them, as she entered the salon in her silky bathrobe. She approached the rocking chair with a yawn and automatically tugged her son's pajama top down to cover his belly, despite the warmth of the night. "What's going on in here anyway? Did I miss my invitation to the party?" 

"CJ couldn't sleep and Nicky woke up." 

"I can't believe that I didn't hear him crying." Abbey knelt on the floor beside her husband and son. She was a very light sleeper and a crying baby on the monitor never escaped her. 

"Weeelll…He wasn't exactly crying. More like whimpering." 

"And you couldn't get him back to sleep?" Abbey began to run a finger in circles over her son's shoulder. 

"I didn't try too hard. I wanted to hold him." He waited for Abbey's irritation with him but it didn't come. 

"Me too," she told him. "I just want to hold them both in my arms and thank God for his blessings. We really are blessed, Jed." She reached a finger up to trace his jaw line. "I never want to take that for granted. I never want to give God a reason…." 

"Ssh…" Jed lifted her chin to look down into her eyes. "You know He doesn't work that way." 

Abbey nodded, intellectually she knew that God did not punish one for taking their blessings for granted, but her Irish Catholic heart, passed on to her by generations of fatalistic, superstitious ancestors, could never completely banish the fear of that punishment. 

Shivering softly and in need of reassurance, she lay her head against Jed's thigh, one hand still resting on Nicky's belly. She smiled softly as she felt Jed begin to gently stroke her hair. 

CJ stood in the doorway for one more moment watching as the Bartlets coped with the reality of the frailty of their child's life by cuddling him between them as if they could keep him safe that way, watching the strength and determination and love that bonded a family together. 

**** 

"Up." Aislinn squinted into the sun pointing a little finger at the huge, shiny, metallic "Gateway Arch" that rose 630 feet into the blue sky before arching and coming back down to earth. 

"Up is right." Abbey grinned at the little girl on her hip. "What do you think about going up in that arch?" 

Aislinn tucked her head under Abbey's chin, her cheek pressed against her breastbone as she continued to stare at the famous Gateway to the West. It was clear that she was not quite sure whether she wanted to go up to the top or not. Nicholas, on the other hand, was clearly enthralled with the idea and kept trying to tug Jed away from a local congressman who was talking his ear off. Finally after meeting with all the St. Louis dignitaries and politicians and all the photo-ops that had ensued, the Bartlet family, and two Secret Service agents entered the cable car that would take them to the top of the arch. Normally only five people were allowed in each cable car, however, since the twins were so young, six were permitted. 

Six minutes later the family stood at the summit in an observation area where they were able to gaze out to the east over the Mississippi River; and to the west out over the vast flat land that was the plateau that led to the Rocky Mountains. 

"It must have taken a lot of courage," Jed said. 

"Hmm…?" Abbey asked, as she shifted Aislinn to her other hip and joined him. 

"It must have taken a lot of courage to stand at this point and make the decision to move forward into an unknown, sometimes savage land." 

Abbey nodded staring out into the horizon. As a woman, a mother, she had to wonder at the fortitude of those mothers who had stood in this same spot, albeit with not quite the vantage point that she had, 150 years ago. What brave hearts and spirits they must have had knowing that their family's very existence could easily be annihilated in the quest and hope for a new better life. In the end, it hadn't been the sheriffs and military that had tamed the west, it had been the existence of women and children who built a sense of community that had tamed that wild unsettled land. 

"Abbey?" Jed looked at her with a frown. 

"Sorry, I was a million miles away in a covered wagon." 

"Playing 'Oregon Trail' again with Zoey?" he teased. 

"Sort of." 'Oregon Trail' had been a Bartlet family favorite computer game. Abbey winced slightly as she settled Aislinn back on to her other hip. 

"Let me take her," Jed offered. 

"She's fine," Abbey demurred. 

"You're so damned stubborn." Jed shook his head at his wife. Like most mothers, Abbey had always had a bit of lower back pain, first from her pregnancies then from carrying the kids around on her hip. Carrying the twins had been even harder on her body, but Abbey would not acknowledge that and she certainly would not give up holding her child on her hip even if it did mean dealing with a sore aching back. 

**** 

"Abbey, there's someone that I want you to meet." 

Abbey had been talking to a group of local congresswomen back at the base of the arch but turned when she heard Jed's voice. The smile left her face as she saw the man in the clerical collar that stood beside him. In the best of times, Abbey's reception would have been cool. St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke had publicly stated that he would not give the President or the First Lady or any other Catholic politician who was Pro-Choice communion. While typically she had been angry about his decision, Jed had been very hurt. She knew that he also feared that something like that might become a nationwide decree and she knew how devastating it would be for him not to be able to receive the Holy Eucharist. It would be almost as bad as being excommunicated which was what some conservative Cardinals were calling for. 

Now, however, her reaction was more one of discomfort rather than anger for she still didn't know how she was going to explain the bizarre end to her phone call with him. It wasn't like she could look him in the eye and tell him that her husband had just stuck his hand into her panties and she could no longer concentrate on the conversation. 

Jed noticed the attractive blush spreading on Abbey's cheeks and with a quick stab of desire knew exactly what she was remembering. 

"Abbey," he continued. "This is Father Burke. Your Grace, my wife, Abigail Bartlet." 

"It's nice to finally meet you after speaking with you on the phone." The man put out his hand and as a dutiful member of the Catholic flock Abbey bent and kissed his ring. 

"Yes, about that phone call…" she began… "I have to apologize for my behavior…I…." 

"No need for apology," the Archbishop waved a hand to dismiss any apology. "Your husband explained everything to me." 

"He…he did?" Abbey swallowed, her eyes moving past the man before her to where Jed stood. 

"Indeed he did. Don't worry. I know all about having to deal with demanding needs." 

Abbey's face turned beet red, and Jed's shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter. "Y…You do?" 

"Of course. I'm sure that you must be worn out from having to deal with those needs twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. But you know, you mustn't let your own needs go unfulfilled, dear." 

Abbey stared at the man in a shock. Was she honestly standing here talking to the Archbishop of St. Louis about meeting her husband's sexual needs? 

Jed watched the color leave his wife's face and for a moment he thought she was going to swoon. He started to take pity on her and moved forward, but the Archbishop continued on. 

"I'm sure that having twins must be so much more demanding than having a single child, they must run you ragged." 

Abbey's heart began to beat in a more regular rhythm as things started to make a bit more sense. 

"I told him about how the kids had just woken up and were crying for their breakfast," Jed said, amusement still dancing in his eyes. 

"Yes, of course." Abbey regained her composure. "They are needy, demanding little children." Her eyes narrowed shooting daggers at her husband and as the three of them turned to greet the next contingent she stepped up close to Jed. "Just like their father," she whispered into his ear as she stuck the heel of her stiletto shoe deeply into the toe of his wingbacks, grinning as she heard him suck in his breath sharply. 

"Payback's a bitch, darlin'," she informed him before sauntering off. 

She did not stay long enough to hear the soft moan of pain or the muffled expletive that slipped from her husband lips, but she was rewarded by watching him limp all the way to the sedan. 

**** 

"Oh, Jed, it's gorgeous," Abbey said, as she slipped the delicate necklace from where it lay in a velvet box. It was their last night together before heading off on their separate ways and they were dining alone by candlelight on the deck of the _Creole Queen_. "I didn't see anything like it, where did you get it?" 

"You won't see anything like it anywhere. I had it specially designed by Mignon Faget." 

"YOU?" Her eyes widened. 

"Yes, me. I do have a modicum of good taste, you know." 

"I'm sorry. Yes, you do. This is just lovely, so delicate. I like the amber stone. It's really pretty surrounded by the diamonds, Mignon made a good choice." 

"I chose the amber," he told her with an emphasis on the 'I'. 

"I'm impressed. What made you go with the amber?" 

Jed shrugged uncomfortably. "No reason." 

"Come on, it's an unusual choice. There must be a reason." 

Jed gazed across the table watching the candlelight flicker in her lovely moss green eyes and dance in her fiery copper hair. "I chose it because it reminded me of your hair." 

"My hair?" 

"Yes, all those swirls of brown, and red, and gold, just like your hair." Abbey bit her lip to keep from smiling at me. 

"You're not laughing at me, are you?" he asked. 

"Of course not." Abbey stood and made her way across the table to sit on her husband's lap, one arm draped over his shoulders. "I just love that sweet romantic heart that beats in your chest." She placed her other hand over his chest toying with the buttons. 

"Abbey," he said, gruffly. Like most men he was uncomfortable with that tender sentimental side of himself and tried to cover it up with nonchalance. 

"Don't 'Abbey' me. You are sweet and romantic and you'll just have to get over it. Now, do the clasp for me, will you." 

She lifted her hair so Jed could do the clasp on her necklace. When he was through he placed his lips against the tender nape of her exquisitely delicate female neck. Abbey shivered at the sensation. 

"I wanted you to have a reminder of this trip," he said fingering one of the small diamond tipped crescents that lay against her chest. 

"I'll never forget this trip," she told him, staring deeply into the depths of his clear azure eyes. "Not ever." 

Jed pulled her neck down to press his lips to hers. Abbey responded, kissing him back, but as he moved to deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth, she pulled back. She wasn't quite ready for this night to be over. 

"Abbey?" 

"Dance with me." She got off his lap extending her hand to him. Jed stood pulling her into his arms. 

"This would be a lot easier if SOMEONE hadn't broken my foot earlier today." 

Her soft husky laugh reverberated against his chest. "You deserved it. Now do me a favor, shut up and just dance with me." 

Jed did as told, the romantic music and gravelly sensuous voice of Louis Armstrong flowing over them as they danced under the moon on the mighty Mississippi. 

> _"My love must be a kind of blind love_  
>  I can't see anyone but you   
> Are the stars out tonight   
> I don't know if it's cloudy or bright   
> I only have eyes for you, dear   
> The moon may be high   
> But I can't see a thing in the sky   
> 'Cause I only have eyes for you   
> I don't know if we're in a garden   
> Or on a crowded avenue   
> You are here, so am I   
> Maybe millions of people go by   
> But they all disappear from view   
> And I only have eyes for you."


	11. Everyday Is a Winding Road

A week after parting ways with Jed in St. Louis, Abbey had traded in the steamy heat of August in New Orleans for September in New England. There was nowhere on earth that she would rather be in September and October than in her home region. It was worth the long cold snowy winters, rainy cool mud seasons, and the all too short summers for those two extraordinarily glorious months. 

As her small motorcade made its way down the shaded streets of her hometown, Abbey noticed some of the trees were already starting to turn varying shades of red, orange and yellow, not many, but enough to let her know that Fall was just around the corner. When the car pulled up in front of the big brick Federal style home that she had grown up in, she saw her mother open the front door to welcome her. It never failed. She was a woman grown, had been away from home longer than she had lived there, and yet, in this house she would forever feel like a child. She wondered for a moment if that would change when her parents were gone, but that painful thought was pushed aside as her mother made her way down the stairs. 

"Welcome home, sweetheart." Beth O'Neill pulled her daughter into her embrace. 

Abbey smiled at the term – home. Somehow, somewhere along the way this elegant comfortable house had ceased being her home. It hadn't happened quickly, that disintegration of feeling. It had taken time, eroding away slowly over the years, until one day she had stood on the porch on the white Colonial farmhouse she shared with Jed and their growing family and realized that she was truly home. Realized that the lovely, happy home that she had lived in as a child was now simply her parents' house. She would always have happy memories of her growing up years, would always feel comfortable and accepted in the warmth of that house, but it was no longer home. It hadn't been for a very long time. 

The kitchen was as much the heart of this house as it was Abbey's own and that was where the two women went to visit and catch up. Abbey smiled when she noticed the heaping mound of peanut butter cookies cooling on the rack. They were her favorite. 

"Were you expecting an army?" she asked, snagging one and moving to the refrigerator to pour herself a glass of milk. 

"Well, you said you weren't sure if you were bringing the children or not." 

"We decided they should stay in Washington with Jed. I'm going to be here, Boston and Long Island over the next week and Jed's going to be staying put, so we figured it would be more stable for them to stay behind." 

"And harder on you." 

Abbey nibbled on her cookie and glanced up sharply. Her mother was so perceptive; the barest flicker of doubt had been picked up on immediately. 

"Actually easier in a way, you know, not having to worry about them while I'm making speeches, or wondering how they'll do on the plane or if they'll get carsick, but harder emotionally. A week seems like an awfully long time to be away from them. If Jed wasn't going to be in Washington there's no way I would have left them behind. But, they have their father so they should be fine." 

"Kids are much more resilient then we give them credit for." 

"I just can't wait until this campaign is over. It's such a strain trying to figure out who's going to be where. Who's going to have the children and when we'll be able to see each other again." 

"And when exactly will that be?" 

"Well, I'll be up here in the Northeast all week, then the day before I get back, Jed's off to the big swing states of California, Michigan, and Illinois, so I probably won't see him again until we meet up at John Hoynes' ranch in Texas for a big rodeo/fundraiser." 

"I don't envy you that. I guess I should be thankful that the most your father is gone is a day on the golf course." 

"Is that where he is now?" 

"Of course." The two women shared a conspiratorial grin over their cookies. Ever since Abbey had been a child, her mother had been griping about the time her father spent on the golf course. 

"It will be nice when we're back to a more normal schedule. But, this is the price you pay, I guess. At least we have the phone. We still talk at least three times a day, although I tend to call Jed a lot more when he's back with the kids than he calls me. It's not that I don't trust him or anything; it's just…well…he's busy and I hate the idea of the kids just having the nanny taking care of them. I mean I know that's how a nanny is supposed to work, but you know I've always seen a nanny as a helper not the primary caregiver. That's why we never had one for the girls but since the twins were born and…" 

"Abbey," Beth reached out a hand to cover her daughter's. "You're rambling, dear. You shouldn't feel guilty; you're a wonderful mother. I've watched you with the girls and I've watched you with the twins and those kids know that they're loved. You've always balanced things as best as you could and you always tried to put the kids first. Sometimes things aren't exactly the way that you want them to be, but that's life, honey. There are brief moments in time where things will be perfect, but those times are few and far between. You just have to deal with the cards you're dealt as best as you can." 

"Why do I always feel so much better after I talk to you?" 

"Because I'm a wise old woman." 

"Wise, yes…" Abbey stood and kissed her mother on the top of the head. "Old, never. I think I'm going to go upstairs and change out of this First Lady get up." 

"You go upstairs and relax. I've planned a nice quiet supper – just you, your father and me. And then you can go off to make your speech in Gloucester to the New England Fisherman's Association. Oh, and Abbey…" 

"Yes?" 

"That rodeo thing sounds like fun." 

"We'll see, Mother. We'll see." 

**** 

After showering and changing into a pair of jeans and light sweater, Abbey made her way out onto the widow's walk that ran the entire length of the back roof of the house. She continued to comb her wet hair absently as she gazed out over the dark blue expanse of the harbor. It was late afternoon now, the sun throwing long shadows over the lawn and the pier. The harbor was bustling with activity as fishing boats chugged in returning with their catch. She thought of the days when the white sails of schooners had jockeyed for position among the hardy Boston Whalers – the days when her ancestors had sailed the seven seas. 

She wondered just how many Warren women – for her mother was a Warren and this had been her family's home – had stood in this very spot waiting day after day, week after week, month after month, for a glimpse of their men returning from the sea. How many of those men had not returned, hence the name "widow's walk". Two weeks – three, once in a while – was the most she was separated from Jed, and at least she knew that he was not battling a white squall around Cape Horn, or getting stuck in a hurricane off the Carolinas or even dallying with Polynesian princesses in the south seas. She had it easy compared to those women and yet, while thinking about that put her loneliness into perspective, it certainly did not assuage it. 

Abbey shivered as the wind picked up, carrying with it the bite of the fall and winter to come, and she wrapped her arms around her midriff. She couldn't help but wish it was her husband's warm arms that had surrounded her and that she could lean back against his frame and enjoy this moment with him. Their time in Louisiana and on the Mississippi already seemed so long ago. 

**** 

"Well, it's nice to see that success hasn't gone to your head." Leo stood in the doorway to the Bartlet family kitchen in the Residence of the White House watching the President deftly doling out orange colored macaroni and cheese into the plastic bowls that sat on the trays of his kids' high chairs. "You do know that you have a staff that can cook for you, right?" 

"It's macaroni and cheese out of a box. Any moron can make that." Jed wiped his hands on the apron he wore tied around his waist and began to pour milk into sippie cups. "Besides the last time I asked the White House chef to make macaroni and cheese for the kids, he made some kind of gourmet thing that they wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole." 

"So this is how you're spending your one night off?" 

"What did you expect a trip out to the local –" he stepped forward to whisper his next words to Leo knowing that if either kid spit this word out Abbey would hang him up by his thumb nails. "–Tittie bar?" 

"Not exactly," Leo grinned. "I just didn't expect to come here and find you playing Susie homemaker. You know, if you lose the election I'm sure there are plenty of homes that would hire you on as a housekeeper." 

"Don't laugh. I could do it. I'm a man of many hidden talents – a true Renaissance man." 

"Sir, it's macaroni and cheese, not a four course French dinner." 

"So it is." Jed spooned a generous portion onto a plate and sat between his children to eat. "Want to join us?" 

Leo grimaced. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't really want to dine on any food that contains powdered cheese. You must have an iron stomach." 

"It's not that bad. All my kids have sworn by this stuff. I made some hot dogs to go with it too, if you'd like." 

"Oh, well that just makes it sound better and better," Leo rolled his eyes. "Hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. Gourmet eating at the White House." 

"Well, if your suddenly delicate palate is too good for down home cooking…" 

"DOWN HOME COOKING?" Leo laughed. "You poured that directly out of a box." 

"I don't see anyone complaining." Jed looked to his children who were mashing the macaroni and cut up hot dog pieces into their mouths. 

"They still eat with their hands. They don't know any better." 

"Well, since you aren't happy with the menu at Chez Bartlet, feel free to raid the fridge." 

Leo poked his head into the refrigerator and found some Brie and a loaf of French bread. Happy with his find, he sat at the table with Jed and the kids, watching as Jed mopped up spills, wiped faces, and fed bits of hot dog to Max who waited patiently under the table. 

"It's a long way from last night's two thousand dollar a plate fundraiser, isn't it?" Leo asked. 

Jed thought of the previous evening when he had been jammed into a tuxedo, eating food he could barely pronounce, and either pretending to be interested in what the people who had paid to dine with him had to say or pretending not to notice the obsequiousness of the many sycophants. 

He looked down at his faded jeans and the sticky orange cheese stain on the arm of his sweatshirt where Aislinn had grabbed him to get his attention. He listened to his children babbling back and forth with each other and with him, took in their happy milky smiles and knew that Leo's point had been lost on him, for he was very sure that he was in much better company tonight. 

**** 

After what seemed like a long drive from Salem to Boston, Abbey made her way through the elegant, dignified lobby of the hotel where she would be speaking and sleeping that evening. She was at the Ritz in Boston, which was a far cry from the jazzy atmosphere of the Place D'Armes in New Orleans. Here, the music was classical and the people dressed in their neutral tones spoke quietly as if they were in a library. Even the flowers, pale roses, were arranged to perfection. Wild unrestrained color or noise was simply not acceptable at the Ritz. 

Oh, how well Abbey knew that. She had grown up going to Sunday brunch at the Ritz with her grandparents at a time where she was even expected to wear gloves. She still had those little white gloves locked away in the attic somewhere. Her girls had loved to play dress up with them and she supposed Aislinn would too one day. Her mother's parents, the Warrens, or as they were known in old money circles, the Boston Warrens, had lived in a Beacon Hill townhouse not all that far from the Ritz. Her grandmother, Anne, had actually inherited the Salem house but couldn't stand the idea of living in the "country" and so it had passed on to Abbey's mother. 

Later, when Abbey was a teenager, her mother had gotten them all season tickets to the Boston Ballet and she, her mother, and Jane, would meet Anne for tea at the Ritz and then go on to the ballet together. Even today Abbey could hear her grandmother's admonitions to sit up straight and keep her elbows off the table. While it frustrated her as a teenager, it was thanks to those rigid admonitions, the strictness of which would have put Emily Post to shame, that Abbey felt comfortable in pretty much any social situation she was thrown into as First Lady. 

Anne Warren might have been a stickler for manners and ladylike behavior but she was not unkind, and Abbey remembered her afternoons at the Ritz with nostalgic fondness. Jane had absolutely hated every minute of forced ladylike behavior, but even then, Abbey had enjoyed dressing up, and she had been enthralled by the ballet. So, if that meant daydreaming a bit through tea, her mind on the broken wing she had tried to fix on a small sparrow, nobody but she had to know that. 

Who would have ever known that the dreamy, ambitious little girl with the wavy red hair and big green eyes would actually be speaking in that very hotel to hundreds of people who had paid thousands of dollars to meet her and hear what she had to say. She wondered what Anne, a true believer in the phrase _"a true lady is only in the newspaper three times in her life – her birth, her wedding, and her death"_ would think about the incredible amount of press coverage her granddaughter was receiving. 

Later that evening, as she took the stage to speak to a standing ovation, Abbey had the feeling that her grandmother was looking down and smiling as she watch her granddaughter become the center of attention in the dining room at the Ritz. 

**** 

With the dishes thrown into the sink and the kids washed up pretty well, Jed sank back onto the couch with a beer. Leo did the same with bottle of Abbey's Perrier. First the Brie and French bread, then the Perrier. Jed wondered if Leo knew that he was choosing Abbey's food and drink preferences. 

"I'll just let them play for awhile and after I put them to bed we can play cards." Jed would have preferred a game of chess but Leo refused to play chess with him. He just didn't have the patience for the game. 

Leo nodded and they both settled in to watch ESPN show highlights of the day's college football games. Aislinn and Nicholas were coloring on the coffee table but Nicholas soon grew bored with that and climbed up on the couch next to Jed to sit fitting shapes into a block. Jed watched the little boy try to cram the pieces into their corresponding slots, amused by his son's tenacity. While Aislinn might have thrown the block or puzzle piece in frustration, Nicky simply bit his lip, narrowed his eyes, and continued on until he found the right piece. Evidently that kind of single mindedness was tiring because it didn't take him long to start to fall asleep against Jed's side. Not tired in the least, Aislinn was still happily coloring away, chattering a mile a minute in sometimes indecipherable English, so Jed decided to let her color some more before putting them both to bed. 

At precisely 7:00, in the middle of a highlight, Jed changed the channel to C-SPAN. 

"What are you doing?!" Leo asked. "Those were Michigan highlights. I wanted to see how my alma mater did." 

"They're showing Abbey's speech on _Race to the White House_. Besides, unless they lost, I really don't care to watch Michigan results." 

Leo scowled and sat back. 

Jed watched a local congressman introduce Abbey, watched her take the stage in a beige linen suit, her hair tamed back into a French twist. She was every inch the proper Bostonian lady. Yet, while she might have traded the languid sensual walk she'd had in New Orleans for the more no nonsense straight backed posture that was expected of her in Brahmin circles, there was no way that she could hide who she was behind neutral colors and sleek hair. She couldn't hide the curvy little body under the boring beige. She couldn't mute the brightness of her hair, nor the sparkle in her eyes. God, what he wouldn't give to be there with her and get under her skin, to muss up her hair and dig down under those clothes to find the incredibly un-boring underwear he knew he would find there. 

As soon as Abbey began to speak, Nicholas started to stir against Jed, his heavy eyelids lifting as he whimpered and turned toward the voice. 

"You know your Mama's voice, don't you?" Jed murmured, stroking a soothing hand over his back. 

"Mama!" Aislinn cried softly. She got to her feet and made her way to the TV staring into it plaintively. "Mama…" Her lip began to quiver. "Wan my Mama." 

Jed gently laid Nicky's head on a pillow then moved to pick up his daughter and carry her back to the couch as well. 

"It's okay, Ash. I want your mama, too, sweetheart. I want your mama, too." 

**** 

"Has the President seen this yet?" Josh was walking down the hall of the West Wing with a magazine held high. 

"What is it?" Sam asked, tilting his head to try to read the cover while Josh continued to walk down the hall toward Leo's office. 

"Is he in?" Josh asked Margaret. 

"Is that the magazine?" 

"He's seen it?" 

"CJ's in with him now." 

Josh and Sam moved forward to open the door to Leo's office. CJ was leaning up against the desk reading a magazine while Leo did the same in his chair. 

"You've seen it, then." Josh slapped the magazine down on the desk. 

"Yeah," CJ said. 

"How could you not know something like this was come out?" Josh turned accusing eyes to the Press Secretary. 

"Excuse me, Josh, but they don't always run these choices by me. It's not exactly _U.S. News and World Report_." 

"Has the President seen it yet?" Josh asked. 

"Not yet." Leo slipped his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. 

"So who's gonna show him," Josh lifted a brow toward his boss. 

"Looks like it's going to be me," Leo sighed. He curled the magazine in his hand and rose to his feet, his eyes going to the door that separated his office from that of his boss, the President. "Wish me luck." 

"'Depending on how he takes it you might just need it," Josh murmured. 


	12. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Jed was leaning forward over his desk, deeply engrossed in a mock list of questions that CJ had given him in preparation for his afternoon press conference when Leo entered the office with barely a knock. 

"Well, what brings you in here with that furrowed brow?" Jed asked. 

"There's something you need to see before your press conference." 

Jed's frowned at the worried look on Leo's face but he was more than a little surprised when he glanced down at the magazine his Chief of Staff had laid out in front of him. 

"Why exactly do I need to know _People_ magazine's twenty-five sexiest women in the world?" Jed lifted a questioning brow. "Has this become hard news? Will I be questioned on them?" 

"Page 53," Leo said tightly. 

Jed began flipping pages, alarm bells going off in his head as he reached page 53 and the full page glamour shot of his wife, her red hair blowing back off her shoulders, her sultry green eyes emphasized by eyeliner, a deeply cut black top hugging her curves. _"Dr. Abigail Bartlet, First Lady"_ proclaimed the headline. 

Jed felt his heart begin to race a little faster as he wondered exactly what was in the article under the headline. Did they know about the tattoo? The naval piercing? Their extravagant spending at Victoria's Secret? Or, even worse, the gossip about their very active and vocal sex life, especially that one careless carnal night on the deck of the _Abigail Anne_? 

Before delving into the article, he began to peruse the smaller pictures that ran beside the story. There was one taken on the farm when he had been running for office the first time around. It was nothing new; the picture had been all over the news media. He and Abbey were in jeans and suede jackets and they were walking with their hands in each other's back pockets. He grinned slightly as he read the caption to himself. 

_"The Drs. Bartlet have long been known to have an extremely close relationship. According to a staff member close to the brainy and attractive First Couple, (President Bartlet was voted People's sexiest man alive in 1999 just after his election), 'The President and Mrs. Bartlet share a uniquely passionate relationship. They have intellectual heat, emotional heat, romantic heat and sexual heat.'"_

There were three other small photos lined up side by side. The first was taken by Annie Liebovitz just a couple of weeks after the twins' birth. In that photo, Abbey looked every inch the image of the provocative earth mother. She was laying under a sheet – the appearance being that she was nude underneath. Her head was propped up on her elbow her bright hair spilling over her shoulder onto the silky cream colored sheets. Aislinn lay beside her, a fistful of her mother's red hair clenched in her tiny hand, her little feet kicking in the air. Abbey's other hand rested on her newborn daughter's belly – a gentle, loving smile on her face as she gazed down at their new little miracle. It was one of Jed's very favorite pictures of mother and daughter. 

In the next one she was wearing a tank top, her hair twisted into a clip, wispy tendrils curling around her slender neck. Her back was to the camera, Nicholas in her arms. The small baby's wide blue eyes were focused on the camera as he sucked and drooled on his mother's bare shoulder. Abbey was kissing the top of his head, the very picture of maternal tenderness. 

The third photo was one of him and Abbey dancing on the _Abigail Anne_. Abbey was wearing her red white and blue bikini top and matching sarong. Again, the photos were nothing that hadn't been flashed on the cover of magazines around the world, and again Jed read the caption. 

_"The First Lady has quite effectively proven that motherhood can indeed be sexy. Just six months after giving birth to twins (Aislinn and Nicholas Bartlet, now aged 20 months) Abigail Bartlet had slimmed down to the point where she could show off her famously spectacular figure in this patriotic bikini. According to a friend, 'Abbey has a body that could stop traffic and there's no reason on earth she shouldn't be able to show her figure off to its best advantage.'"_

The last photo on the bottom of the page was taken the day of Mrs. Landingham's funeral. It was of the two of them climbing the stairs hand in hand to enter the National Cathedral. Abbey wore a short tight black suit and four-inch stilettos. Now that he really looked at the photo, he knew what a mess of grief and confusion he'd been at that point because he had never really noticed just how amazingly sexy his wife had looked even dressed for mourning. This time the caption brought out the negatives of not fitting into the old fashioned view of a politician's wife. 

_"Despite worldwide admiration, Abigail Bartlet does have her detractors. The Christian right has long admonished her for wearing skirts that fall above the knee into a house of worship and even Janet Ritchie, the wife of Republican nominee Governor Rob Ritchie, has lambasted her for wearing dresses she and other conservative Republicans feel reveal too much First Lady cleavage. 'It's not proper,' Mrs. Ritchie stated recently at the Republican convention. 'Mrs. Bartlet should wear proper clothes befitting the wife of a President, not dress as if she is a Hollywood movie star.'"_

Jed cringed at that one, wondering if Janet Ritchie had a death wish. There was no way that Abbey was going to let that comment go. 

"Well?" Leo asked. 

"Give me a minute, I haven't read the article yet, just the pictures." 

Jed leaned back in his chair and began to read. 

> _Never in the history of our country have we ever had a First Lady with as much sex appeal as Dr. Abigail Bartlet. We've had attractive First Ladies, stylish First Ladies, politically active First Ladies and formidable First Ladies, but none that have combined all of the above into one small, yet, potent package._
> 
> Dr. Bartlet, with her smoky gray-green eyes and long curling auburn hair does not fit into any cookie cutter image of a First Lady. She has a sense of classy, sexual elegance that has never before been witnessed in the White House. With her form fitting skirts worn just above the knee to reveal a pair of legs a Broadway dancer would envy, strappy stiletto heels, and evening gowns with plunging necklines, Abbey Bartlet, has become a spokeswoman for the new modern American woman. The woman who can be a feminist, a successful surgeon, a wife and a mother and still radiate sexuality. Her self-confidence and the fact that she knows exactly who she is only adds to her allure. 
> 
> For the past few decades, women have been told that they have to make a choice – be feminine or be taken seriously. Abigail Bartlet has never made that choice. She is taken quite seriously, thank you, and her femininity is one of the few things that both sides of the aisle can agree on. She has been described by more than one Republican senator as, "Small, stacked and sexy, with legs a mile long." Says one staffer, "The President is quite envied on Capital Hill." 
> 
> That's not to say that everyone is happy with the idea of a sexy First Lady. The Christian right has come down hard on Abbey Bartlet for her choice of attire. The White House is often flooded with letters from angry Americans – mostly Republicans – who feel that their First Lady should dress in a more conservative manner and should certainly not let herself be photographed in a bikini, as she has been for the past couple of summers at the family's summer home on the coast of Maine. 
> 
> "Sour grapes," says one insider, on the condition of anonymity. "Those old prune faced conservative wives have been on Capital Hill for decades. They don't like the breath of fresh air that Abbey has brought with her and they certainly don't like that their husbands like it. They just want Mamie Eisenhower or Barbara Bush back. Abbey is never going to fit into that image, nor would she ever want to. She certainly doesn't go overboard. She always looks classy, but she has a great body, why should she have to hide that?" 
> 
> Why indeed? And that's why we picked Dr. Abigail Bartlet as one of the sexiest women in the world.

Jed slid his glasses off and leaned back in his chair not saying a word. Leo had expected some kind of explosion. What he had not expected was the almost smug look on the President's face. 

"Well?" Leo said. 

"Well what? What do you want me to say?" 

"I don't know. SOMETHING." 

"I don't know what you want me to say. That article didn't say anything that we all didn't already know; that everyone in America didn't already know." 

"Maybe they know it but it's never been presented in quite this way." 

"Leo, this is old news. We went through all of this the first time around and we've been through it since." 

"And we've had to fight it time and time again." 

"Don't fight it anymore." 

"Excuse me." 

"There's no reason to fight it anymore. The American people know Abbey now. Polls show that she's the most admired woman in America. Women all over the world copy her choice in clothes, her shoes, her hairstyles and her jewelry. Mothers follow her lead when it comes to raising their children. Abbey breast-fed the twins and suddenly mothers all across America were doing the same. Abbey lets Nicholas suck his thumb and suddenly other mothers don't worry about fighting their own children about it. There are always going to be people who don't like a smart, independent, attractive woman who won't fit into the mold they want her to fit in. It doesn't matter how she dresses; she'll never change the impression those people have of her and to be honest that's fine with us. I love my wife just the way that she is. I won't ask her to change, not ever, don't ask me to." 

"Somebody may have to." Bruno entered the room his face tight a manila folder in his hand. 

"Bruno, the damn article is benign." Jed's irritation was quite evident. "We can't control who _People_ magazine picks as their sexiest women." 

"I'm not worried about the _People_ article. Well, I am, but we've got bigger problems." He handed the manila folder over. 

Jed took the folder, slid his glasses back on and leaned back in his chair. His brow furrowed and both Leo and Bruno watched a red flush begin to rise in his face as he rifled through page after page. 

"WHERE did you get these?" Barely restrained anger filled Jed's voice. 

"On the Internet. They're all over the Internet and they'll be in all of the tabloids by the beginning of the week. Are they real?" 

"What do you mean are they real?" 

"I can't imagine that Mrs. Bartlet posed for those pictures. Was her face superimposed?" 

"No, they're real all right. She did pose for those pictures." 

Bruno closed his eyes pressing his fingers into his forehead. "What in the HELL was she thinking posing like that?" 

"Those weren't meant for public consumption," Jed snapped. "She did a photo layout for Vogue. She asked the photographer if he would take some…uh… personal photos as a gift for me. He was supposed to destroy the negatives." 

"Well, evidently he didn't." 

"I think that's pretty obvious." Jed flashed him a sarcastic irritated look. As far as he was concerned this was a whole lot of something about nothing, but he knew that he would have to deal with it. "Look, we'll discuss this later, I have a press conference to get to and I'd like to call my wife before I go. Abbey needs a heads up." 

"You're probably going to be asked about the pictures," CJ said from the doorway. "What's our official response?" 

"The truth," Jed said. "The pictures were intended to be a private gift NOT to be displayed on the Internet or in any damn magazine. While we're at it, CJ, I want you to find out who's behind those pictures being released." 

"Sir?" 

"I want you to find out who the son of bitch is. I've said this before and I'll say it again, you can fuck with me all you want but you DON'T fuck with my family." 

"I'll see what I can find out," CJ assured him. 

Jed stood sliding the photos back into the folder. "So help me, God, if I find out the Ritchie camp had anything to do with trying to embarrass my wife I'm going to make them pay." 

**** 

"Mrs. Bartlet, how do you feel about being voted one of _People_ 's twenty-five sexiest women in the world," shouted a reporter, as Abbey stepped out of her sedan to make her way to the hotel entrance. 

Abbey flashed them a careless smile. "Flattered, of course." 

"Have you heard about the Internet photos?" 

"Yes." 

"Have you seen them?" 

"Not yet. My husband informed me they were out there." 

"Any comments?" 

"Just what he already said. I had those pictures taken as a gift for my husband. I certainly never expected anyone but him and me to see them." 

"Are you embarrassed by them?" 

"Not at all. I'm upset that something that was supposed to be private between my husband and me has become public domain, but I'm not embarrassed. The photos were professionally and tastefully done. I'm not ashamed of them." 

Despite her calm attitude with the reporters, Abbey was furious and shaken as she entered the hotel. 

"Hurry up, pull them up, Lily." Abbey stood in her hotel room beside her Chief of Staff while Lily signed on to her laptop. Lily clicked on the heading stating "See suggestive photos of the First Lady" and up they came, one after the other. 

Abbey watched with dread as each photo filled the screen. There she was lying across a brocade loveseat completely naked save for the sheet that was draped strategically across her breasts and hips. 

There she was facing the camera with a very sultry look as she knelt on the bed in nothing but a man's dress shirt, a dress shirt that was completely unbuttoned leaving a column of naked skin from throat to hips, the tails held together demurely at the apex of her thighs. 

There she was her back to the camera holding a sheet over her breasts, a sheet that dipped all the way to her rear baring the entire slender expanse of her back. But, it was more than just her back that was revealed. 

"Oh God," she groaned. "You can see my tattoo. You can see the damned tattoo." 

"I never knew you had a tattoo." 

"Most people don't," Abbey snapped. "But now the whole fucking world knows." She paced away from the computer, arms wrapped protectively around her waist. She hadn't been lying to the reporters outside. She didn't feel shame over the photos; in fact she had been quite proud of them when she'd given them to Jed. What she did feel was a horrible sense of violation. While she hadn't been naked in any of the photos, she felt completely stripped bare before the world, her privacy shattered. 

Lily was squinting at the photo as Abbey went through her appointment book. "It's so small on the screen. What is it? You know you'll be asked." 

"It's a Celtic knot," Abbey said as she found the number she was looking for and began to dial. 

"A Celtic knot?" 

"It symbolizes forever. You can never get the knot undone. I got it to symbolize my marriage to Jed." 

"That's so romantic." Romance was on Lily's brain. Abbey's Chief of Staff had just gotten engaged to a congressman who had not run for re-election. A congressman who was going back to California and was taking Lily with him right after the holidays. 

"Hi, Harry," Abbey said into the telephone, her tone ice cold. "This is Abigail Bartlet." 

"Mrs. Bartlet, I'm so sorry about the photographs. I never meant for this to happen." 

"What did happen, Harry? You promised me that you would develop the pictures yourself and destroy the negatives. Those photos were supposed to be for Jed's eyes only." 

"I did develop them myself…." 

"I think there is a 'but' in there somewhere." 

"I asked my assistant to do away with the negatives." 

"Oh, Harry." 

"I trusted him. I never thought he'd betray me. I…I loved him." 

Slowly the relationship between the famous photographer and his young male assistant made sense to her. "What do you mean betray you? I'M the one who's splashed half naked all over the Internet, and if I'm to believe my husband's press secretary, which I do, I'll be all over the tabloids next week." 

"It wasn't you. It didn't have anything to do with you. This was revenge against me." 

"I don't understand." 

"Gregory was my lover." There was dead silence on the other end. "Have I shocked you?" 

"It would take more than a homosexual relationship to shock me, Harry. I've had gay male friends over the years." 

"Yes, well, I broke up with Gregory a couple of weeks ago. I found out he was stepping out on me, and, well, even without the emotional devastation, it's just too dangerous in this day in age to take a chance with a man who has several different partners." 

"What does this have to do with the pictures?" Abbey asked impatiently. 

"I'm getting to that. Gregory didn't like it when I broke things off. He'd grown very comfortable living the high life as my mistress. He threatened to destroy me – to pay me back. He must have kept those negatives as collateral or something; this is the way he's paying me back. When you tell the press that I broke my promise to destroy the negatives, my career as a celebrity fashion photographer is over. People need to be able to trust me." 

"So, he put the pictures of me on the Internet and gave them to the tabloids." 

"No, I think he gave them to David Brenner." 

"Who the hell is David Brenner?" 

"One of Gregory's lovers who also happens to be a high ranking member of the Republican National Committee." 

"I see. Yes, I see very well now. Thank you, Harry." 

"I really am sorry, ma'am, but please don't be too upset. Those pictures are beautiful. All the world is going to see is just how lovely you are and all the sensual feelings that you have for your husband." 

"Yes, well, I'm not quite sure I'm exactly comfortable with that. Thank you again for being honest with me, Harry." 

She hung up and turned to Lily. "Shit," she seethed. "I should have known Ritchie would be behind all this. He hides behind that genial, moronic good old boy smile and all the time he's as sleazy as they come." 

"We all know that. Now we just need to find a way to make sure the American public knows that." 

"He's not the only one that I'd like to 'out'. I have a feeling that bitch Janet Ritchie is in this up to her elbows. She hates me. She'd like nothing more than for me to be Jed's downfall." 

"Well, we aren't going to let that happen. You're the victim here, ma'am, and we're going to make sure that the press knows that." 

"I have to call Jed. He needs to get the staff on this. If we can prove that David Brenner is behind all of this, we can attack the Republicans right back where it hurts – right into their reputation for nasty mudslinging." 

**** 

"So, what were you thinking about when that picture was taken?" Jed asked. They had quickly moved passed Abbey's information in regards to how the pictures were released and moving into more risqué areas of conversation. 

"Which picture?" 

"The one where you're kneeling on the bed with that sultry, sinful little smile. What were you thinking of when that picture was taken?" 

"What do you think I was thinking?" she teased coquettishly. "Of you, of course." 

"And what about me?" 

"You seeing me like that. Seeing the picture. Wanting me." 

"Oh man, do I ever. Were you thinking about me seeing you like that knowing that I would want to slide my hands inside your shirt to cup your breasts? Were you thinking that I'd want to lower my head and caress your soft skin with my lips? Were you thinking about how I'd take your nipple into my mouth and suckle you until your knees buckled with passion?" 

"Mmm…Jed don't start this, I need a good night's sleep tonight." Abbey squeezed an arm tightly over her tingling nipples. 

Jed ignored her plea and continued on unmercifully. "Were you thinking about me moving your hands and opening the tails of that shirt so I could slide my hand inside your panties and feel how hot and wet you were for me? Did you want to feel me stroking you and…" 

Jed trailed off at the discreet cough from the doorway. He'd left the study door to the Residence wide open and Leo now stood there, a pink flush of embarrassment rising in his cheeks. 

"Jed?" Abbey's voice was shaky now, that place between her thighs pulsing with frustration. "You can't just leave me there." 

"Sorry, babe. Leo's here, I gotta go." 

"You're a real bastard, you know?" 

"I know," he said sympathetically. "Think about me in your dreams tonight." 

"No, you think about ME, love muffin. Think about me sinking down onto my knees in front of you, gently unzipping your pants and sliding Old Hickory out of his confinement. Think about how good it would feel as I trace my tongue all around the tip of you, tasting you. Think about how you'd groan as I open my mouth and..." 

"ENOUGH, Abbey." Jed felt his pants tightening as Old Hickory was evidently all for his favorite gal's plans for him. 

Abbey chuckled at the other end. "Hey, two can play at this game. If I'm not going to get any sleep tonight, neither are you. Night, night, Mr. President." She hung up before he could respond. 

Jed hung up the receiver, shifting in his seat to make himself more comfortable. As he did so, he disturbed the kitten that had been sleeping peacefully on his lap. Oliver stretched out and jumped to the floor. Startled from where he was sleeping by the doorway, Max jolted awake to be face to face with the small gray kitten. That was when Oliver made a big mistake. He hissed at the big dog and tried to race past him out the door. Max jumped to his feet and gave chase barking his foolish head off. 

"MAX!" Jed shouted and began chasing both the dog and the cat from the study to the living room. "MAX, LEAVE THAT CAT ALONE!" He could just picture the big Shepherd making mincemeat out of the kitten. How the hell would he explain that to Abbey and the kids? 

But, little Oliver was more resourceful than Jed had given him credit for. He jumped onto the end table knocking pictures and knickknacks to the floor then took a flying leap to catch onto the drapes where he proceeded to climb all the way to the top. 

Max jumped at the drapes barking and carrying on while the cat hissed and spit down at him. 

"Enough, Max." Jed grabbed the dog by the collar and shut him out of the living room. When he returned, Leo watched bemused as the President of the United States stood on a chair trying to coax the frightened kitten off the drapes where he clung for dear life. 

"So, you got a cat." Leo grinned. 

"Brilliant deduction." 

"I didn't think you liked cats." 

"He belongs to Abbey and the kids. Abbey took him in as stray." Jed cuddled the trembling kitten to his chest and climbed down off the chair. "If anything, he'll be a good mouser here." 

"Sure," Leo shook his head. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're a marshmallow, Mr. President?" 

Jed's eyes narrowed but before he could retort with a comeback he heard his son on the other side of the door. 

"Daddy," Nicholas cried out sleepily. "Daddy…." Evidently all the barking and hissing had woken up the twins as well. 

Still holding the kitten, Jed moved to the door and opened it to see Nicky in his pajamas rubbing his sleepy eyes. 

"You little monkey, how many times have Mommy and I told you not to climb out of your crib?" Jed lifted Nicholas into his arms then turned to Leo. 

"Was there something you wanted?" 

Leo watched the little boy's head drop against Jed's shoulder, his thumb going back in his mouth. "You know for the life of me I can't remember what I came up here for." Leo shook his head with bewilderment. His best friend's chaotic lifestyle was a far cry from his own quiet lonely one. "But, it looks like you've got your hands full. I'll leave you to it." 

Jed nodded and Leo watched as he made his way to the nursery to put Nicholas back into bed, the kitten now perched on his shoulder. Another sleepy cry of "Daddy" resounded as Jed opened the door. Leo wondered if Jed's children would wear him out enough to allow him to forget the steamy little phone call he'd shared with Abbey. He could only imagine what Abbey had been saying on the other side to cause Jed to squirm and fidget with discomfort. 

**** 

Just a couple of days after the _People_ article and the pictures had been released on the Internet Bruno sat looking at the TV screen with disbelief. It was MTV's _Rock the Vote_ night. He knew that the First Lady was there with Zoey and CJ. What he hadn't expected was for her to take the stage in a just above the knee red leather mini-skirt, black high heels and a black "Rock the Vote" T-shirt. It didn't matter that the skirt wasn't particularly tight, that it looked elegant and chic, it was the fact that it was LEATHER. Leather, Jesus Christ, what was that woman trying to do to him? He watched the boys in the audience; boys her own daughter's age, whooping it up, clearly appreciative of the First Lady's attire. One young man held up a sign that read "Abbey Bartlet's a Babe". 

Bruno shook his head with dismay. Clearly Abbey was snubbing her nose at all the stiff necked politicians wives who had been mouthing off to the press that they knew something like this would catch up with her and that she had no business posing for those pictures, and also the Christian right who were trying to paint her as the Whore of Babylon. Oh, there were plenty of people who had jumped to her defense. The polls were showing that most Americans were sympathizing with the First Lady and that it was nobody's business what kind of photos she had taken of herself for her husband, but it was still a distraction that they didn't need right now. 

Bruno had wanted a low profile – a quiet, repentant Abbey – but it was obvious he wasn't going to get that. No, he was getting in your face, take me as I am, Abbey Bartlet, and while that was great for younger voters and liberal voters, it might hurt them in the long run with older voters who were now a huge block to contend with. 

"Paula," he called out to one of his assistants. "Find out when the First Lady is due back from New York. We need to have a little talk." 


	13. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Bruno leaned forward with his elbows on his knees as he scrutinized the TV in front of him. He was trying to dispassionately watch Abigail Bartlet give a speech to the cheering crowd at the University of Virginia. She was a good speaker; he had to give her credit for that. She was loose, self-deprecating and obviously comfortable in front of a crowd. Still, there was something there that bothered him. He clicked over to Janet Ritchie greeting voters in America's heartland. In her nondescript pastel shin length dress, sensible flats and with her gray streaked brown hair cut short and held stiff with what looked like an entire bottle of hairspray, Janet melded into the crowd as Abbey never would. Despite her small stature, Abbey would always stand out in that type of crowd. 

"It's too bad that she has red hair," he said, almost to himself. 

"What has that got to do with anything?" CJ asked with exasperation. She had not wanted to be part of this 'pick Abbey Bartlet apart session'. 

"Whether the reputation is deserved or not redheads are known to be tempestuous, temperamental, and just hot stuff in general. Blond can be demure, brown can be average, but red is sexy with a capital S, especially when it's long and soft and curly." 

"Well you're not going to get her to change her hair color. Besides I thought you liked her looking soft and feminine. You don't like her looking too professional, too east coast." 

"I do like her looking good, but she's almost TOO pretty." 

"A woman can never be TOO pretty," CJ smirked. "And, for the record, if you're planning on confronting her, I'd drop that one out of your lists of complaints." 

"Will you please take this seriously?" Bruno glared at her. "Look at her! Her heels are too high; her skirts should be two inches longer and her blouse should be buttoned two buttons higher." 

"Bruno, look at me." CJ stood. "Is my skirt too short?" 

"No." 

"It's the same length as Abbey's. Is my blouse buttoned too low?" 

Bruno rolled his eyes and leaned back crossing his arms over his chest. "No," he admitted. 

"It's not buttoned any lower than Abbey's." 

"It's different." 

"Why, because I don't have her legs or her curves? Because I don't have her tits?" 

CJ had been hoping to knock him off balance with that one, but nonplussed Bruno calmly retorted, "No, because YOUR husband isn't running for the Presidency of the United States." 

"Look, we've been through all of this before," Josh warned wearily. "We all know that Abbey is too smart, too sexy, too liberal, too opinionated, and too old money eastern establishment. We tried to tone that down the first time around. We didn't succeed then, and now that she is so well known and universally admired, you won't change it now." 

"We'll see about that." Bruno stood abruptly and left the room. 

"That man is in for one rude awakening," Josh shook his head. Toby nodded with agreement. In the beginning they'd all been as cocky as Bruno when it came to dealing with the First Couple. It hadn't taken them long to be stripped of their illusions of control and they were sure it wouldn't take long with Bruno either. 

**** 

Abbey stepped into the shower closing her eyes as the refreshing warm water hit the tense muscles of her shoulders. It had been a hellishly long and grueling day that had started at 8:00 a.m. in Manhattan and ended long after midnight in D.C.. The pictures that she'd had taken for Jed's eyes only had exploded onto the covers of all the major tabloids and magazine covers and had been flashed over and over on news and entertainment news programs. Everywhere Abbey turned, she was seeing one of those photos or listening to somebody give their pro or con comment on them, and, as much as she tried, she was unable to ignore the brouhaha that had been created. 

She had returned to Washington late that morning and been taken straight to a speaking engagement at the University of Virginia. Her speech was supposed to be about the need for affordable healthcare, but that wasn't what the reporters wanted to ask her about. She was frustrated and disgusted to find that all anyone wanted to question her about were the pictures and the magazine article – how she felt about them, who she blamed for releasing them, what the President's reaction was. The fact that she was refusing to comment and was sticking to the one statement she'd made on the issue only seemed to raise the frenzy. 

The last thing that she'd felt like doing after a long day was to attend a party but that was the next event on her agenda. She'd hoped to have time to get back to the White House and see Jed and the kids before he left for Michigan and they were put to bed, but it was not to be. Thanks to the media circus, they'd been behind schedule all day, and with no time to return to the White House to change, she'd had to go directly to the National Gallery of Art. One of her aides had gone to the White House to get her the dress that she had planned to wear for the evening and Abbey had to lock herself into the ladies room where she proceeded to sponge bathe the grime of the day off her body and change out of her professional First Lady campaign suit into something more suitably glamorous. Sitting on the edge of the counter she'd slid on thigh high black stockings and strappy heels, then slipped into a Christian Dior cocktail dress. With Lily's help she'd quickly pinned her hair up into a French twist, twisted diamond drop earrings into her ears and made it just in time to play First Lady and hostess for the special showing of Spanish art that was being attended by members of the Spanish royal family. 

Nobody would have known that she was exhausted and less than happy to be at the gathering. Well aware that – as was the case since Jed had started to run for political office – she was being watched and scrutinized, she shook hands with the guests, made small talk with the Spanish delegation and smiled until she thought her cheeks would crack. Life in a goldfish bowl was certainly not easy. She was never allowed to have an off day, never allowed to be tired or cranky or PMS'y or even to have a bad hair day. She was always expected to be flawless, impeccable, and gracious. Always expected to be "on". Nothing but perfect would ever do. She had truly never expected the frenzy of adulation and interest that she had received since becoming First Lady. 

She'd been just a kid when Jacqueline Kennedy had the job and while she remembered her mother getting a Jackie "bob" and the interest that the entire Kennedy family generated, she hadn't been prepared for all of that to happen to her. Since Jackie, First Ladies were rarely discussed with much interest. One saw them on the news at summit meetings, or in receiving lines for state dinners but that was primarily it. She and the rest of the American public didn't know how they spent their days or what their interests were and really nobody seemed to care. Oh, there were the obligatory magazine covers every once in a while, but nothing compared to the colossal interest that Abbey had generated when she burst on the scene. 

Abbey hadn't considered herself much different from the women who preceded her; she was a wife, a mother, a doctor, and a teacher, not a moviestar. But the American public thought differently. They were fascinated with her; they wanted to know every little thing about her. They copied her hairstyles, her clothes, her shoes, and her jewelry. They wanted to read what she read, to shop where she shopped. She had become a genuine icon in a very short period of time and at first Abbey had been overwhelmed by that. For Jed's first year in office, she had shuttled back and forth between New Hampshire and D.C.. Zoey was still in high school and they hadn't wanted to disrupt her senior year. Once Zoey graduated and Abbey had the hang of the First Lady thing, she had planned to continue on in a professional capacity. She knew she couldn't continue her surgical practice, but she had thought to continue on as a lecturer at Johns Hopkins. But, before that could happen she had gotten pregnant and Jed had been shot. In that year nothing truly had mattered to her but getting him well and carrying and delivering two healthy babies. She'd thought once the babies had arrived things would calm down, but they had not. If anything, the furor had grown even more intense. She wondered if anyone knew just what a strain it was to be always afraid of putting the wrong foot forward, afraid of saying the wrong thing, afraid of appearing bored or tired when all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and pull the covers up over her head. 

Campaigning could at times be invigorating but most of the time it was just a chore. Today had been a chore. Her hand was sore and swollen from all the handshakes throughout the day, and after being in heels since 8:00 a.m., her feet and her back hurt. To top all of that off, her head had begun to pound and throb. But, she had never let on to any discomfort or irritation, at least not until she had flopped back into the sedan, kicked her shoes off and pulled the clips out of her elegant twist, running her fingers through the lengthy strands and massaging her scalp. 

She snapped on the small TV they had in the sedan and had been just in time to watch her husband land in Michigan giving the same stock answers he'd given over and over to reporters all over D.C.. They'd decided for nonchalance, not finger pointing, at least until they had more information. He merely told reporters that he loved the photos and that as they could see, he was a very lucky man – the gleam in his eye unmistakable. When it came to the _People_ article, he told them that _People_ magazine voting his wife one of the sexiest women in the world only confirmed something that he'd known since the day he first met her. 

He looked tired, she automatically noticed, as she popped a couple of Advil for her headache. His left eye was twitching a bit as it always did when he was tired and there was a slight hunch to his shoulders. Most people would never notice it, not even his staff; but for Abbey, who was just as in tune to her husband's body as she was to her own, it had been like seeing a red flag. "Get some sleep, baby" she whispered to herself as she placed her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. She knew that it would be much too late by the time she got back to the Residence to call him and give him that advice, so she was hoping telepathy just might work. 

Abbey toweled off after her shower, smoothed moisturizer into her skin and slipped into her silk bathrobe. Bed beckoned her but there was something more important she needed to do first. Barefooted, she made her way next door to the nursery. The room was dark save for the soft glow of the Winnie the Pooh night-lights. Abbey made her way to each child's crib adjusting blankets and allowing her hand to rest gently on Nicholas' and Aislinn's backs to feel the rise and fall of their breathing. She stood for a long moment inhaling their sweet baby scent and relaxing in the peaceful tranquility of the moment. She was home. 

Finally, her eyes getting too heavy to keep open, she went back to her bedroom, slipped into one of Jed's T-shirts and crawled beneath the cool sheets. It was 2:00 a.m. and Abbey was finally getting to sleep. 

**** 

"Is Mrs. Bartlet up?" Bruno asked one of the agents up in the Residence. 

"She's in the kitchen having breakfast with the children." 

Bruno nodded and with an air of supreme authority he made his way toward the kitchen. He did not want to take a chance at being announced and having Abbey turn him away. 

The kitchen door was open. Bruno could hear the First Lady's voice as she talked to her children and he had to grin at their babbling, giggling responses. He stood for a moment in the doorway watching the family breakfast together. Abbey wore a deep emerald silk bathrobe; somehow he knew it would have to be silk for her. Her young son sat on her lap tugging at a lock of her hair for attention while she tried to spread strawberry jam onto a croissant. Before he had the chance to make his presence known, Abbey had taken a bite of the croissant and was unconsciously licking the buttery jam from her fingers. 

Bruno had been around many beautiful, sexy women but the fact that Abbey Bartlet's sensuality was completely natural and totally uncalculated was even more appealing. She took her looks and her image for granted and she didn't see herself the way that other people did. He supposed that was why she didn't understand what they expected of her. She wasn't TRYING to be sexy, she just WAS sexy. 

"Bed, Mama." Aislinn reached out a hand for her mother's croissant. 

"You want a bite of my croissant?" 

Aislinn nodded. "Cussant…cussant…" 

Abbey broke off a piece and slipped it into between her daughter's lips. "You like it?" she asked. Aislinn nodded her approval. 

Abbey laughed as she moved to take another bite and saw Nicholas looking up at her with his mouth wide open. 

"You want a bite too, little bird?" 

"Me bite." Nicholas nodded and accepted a bite of the croissant. 

"You two are going to eat all of my breakfast if I don't watch out." 

Nicholas grabbed a fistful of the sticky French toast that sat on his plate and held it up to Abbey's lips gazing up at her with serious blue eyes. 

"You want to share your breakfast with me?" Abbey asked. 

Nicholas nodded, thrusting his fingers into Abbey's lips. Abbey accepted her son's offering making a big production over how good it was. She licked the syrup off her lips then kissed the top of Nicky's head. 

"Thank you, little man. That was delicious." 

Bruno tried not to let a sigh slip from his lips. God, how he'd love to have a camera crew here. How he would love for all of America to watch Abbey Bartlet in Mama Mode. She truly was a loving completely natural mother; and while the country got glimpses of that, it was far more titillating to gossip about her shopping at a place called "Trashy Diva's", dancing at a place called "The Funky Butt" and posing half naked as a gift for her husband. 

"BRUNO." Her tone had changed from complete warmth to one of icy coolness. "What are you doing just standing there?" 

She'd caught him daydreaming. Oh well, better to be honest than try to make up some lie she'd see through. 

"I was just thinking how perfect this little scene would be on camera. You know 'A Day in the Life'." 

"Not on your life." The finality of her words was reflected in her tone. 

"It's not exactly unprecedented." 

"No, we did it for their birthday, and we'll probably do something similar again on their next birthday, but I'm not going to use them as part of a campaign. What exactly are you doing here? Who let you in?" 

"Nobody let me in. I asked where you were and the kitchen door was open." 

"Let's get something straight. This is my HOME, Bruno. I know everyone seems to think they can just come and go as they please here, but I'd like you to remember that this is where my family and I live. I'd appreciate it if you would respect that." 

"There are some things that I want to discuss with you." 

"I have a Chief of Staff, make an appointment." 

"Mrs. Bartlet, this is important."' 

"Mr. Gianelli, I have been on the campaign trail for over a week. That means a week away from my children and it's been well over two since I've seen my husband. I can't do anything about Jed, but I can and do intend to spend the day with my children – the ENTIRE day." 

"I'll only take a few minutes of your time." 

"Call Lily. Set up an appointment for tomorrow. I'll have office hours in the afternoon." 

Bruno felt his blood pressure rise. Nobody put him off like that. He started to open his mouth to argue then thought the better of it seeing the steely look in Abbey's eyes. She wasn't going to cave in on this. 

"Mama…more?" Nicholas held a piece of French toast up to Abbey's lips. 

Bruno was amazed to see how fast Abbey's features softened, the coldness in her eyes replaced with tenderness as she took the bite. He stood for a moment longer but realized that he had been dismissed. 

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said tightly, then turned on his heels to leave. 

Abbey gave a sigh of relief at his departure and turned her attention back to her children. She didn't want to make an enemy of Bruno. She knew he was just doing his job but she was sick to death of political consultants. They had been a part of her life ever since Jed had started running for serious office. There had been several different people doing the job but they all had one thing in common. None of them had seen her as a person, a wife, a mother, a doctor. She was simply the candidate's wife and as such they had tried to change her, manipulate her, mold her, and force her to use her family to their advantage. And, right from the beginning they'd all had one hell of a fight on their hands. Bruno Gianelli was just one in a long line of campaign staffers who was going to discover that Abigail Bartlet was no pushover. 

**** 

"Mrs. Bartlet?" 

Abbey looked up from the paperwork on her desk. "Yes, Lily?" 

"Mr. –" 

"I believe I have an appointment." Bruno strode through the door past Lily. 

Abbey nodded her acquiescence to Lily and bit her lip to keep from grinning. Bruno had obviously not taken being put off well at all. 

"So you do." She closed the manila folder, pushed her glasses off her nose and leaned back in her chair. She liked having the upper hand that meetings in her office gave her. Photographs of her family surrounded her and there were scribbled drawings by the twins on her walls. This was her turf through and through. 

Determined not to let Abbey feel that she was in control of this meeting, Bruno looked for a way to ruffle her feathers. Instead of directly sitting in front of her desk, he walked along its length picking up pictures and putting them back down without comment until he got to the one of her and Jed standing in front of the Taj Mahal. She was wearing a gauzy white sundress. Jed was in shirtsleeves and she was gazing up at him with loving eyes as he kissed the back of her hand. 

"India, eh?" he asked, flashing the picture her way. 

"I believe that's where the Taj Mahal is," Abbey retorted sarcastically. 

"It's where you got pregnant, isn't it? At least that's what all the papers said." 

Abbey's eyes narrowed and she pulled the picture from his hand to set it back down gently in its center position on her desk. "Where I conceived my children is of no concern to you." 

"No, I suppose it isn't. But it was a brilliant political move. The President was struggling in the polls. He was finding out that his idealistic agenda was not going to be so easy to get through a jaded, cynical, entrenched congress. Then, BAM, he gets shot, you get knocked up and suddenly the country is in love with you again. They can't get enough of your pregnancy or the President's recuperation. And I don't have to tell you what happened once those babies were born – you became Saint Abigail." 

"That's enough, Bruno!" Abbey snapped, her eyes flashing green fire. "I did NOT get 'knocked up' as you so eloquently put it to save my husband's faltering agenda. I got drunk one night in India; we had an accident. Does that surprise you?" 

"No," Bruno smiled, his eyes moving to where Abbey's chest was rising and falling with emotion. He was a man who truly appreciated beautiful women, especially when they were all riled up. "It doesn't surprise me at all." 

"What's that supposed to mean? You think I'm a drunk or something?" 

"No, I think you're a very sexy woman, and I think you are probably very hard to resist. I meant that I could understand the 'accident'. I'm sure the President couldn't help himself." 

"What if it was me who couldn't help myself?" 

"That wouldn't surprise me either. You're a very passionate woman. Which brings me to why I'm here. Your image." 

"My image is fine." 

"In some circles it is, but what about the south? The heartland?" 

"What about those areas?" 

"When you go out dressed the way that you are, those women don't relate to you. You aren't ONE of them." 

"What's wrong with the way that I dress?" 

"Your clothes are too expensive looking, too sleek, too Fifth Avenue stylish and your heels are too high." 

"I'm from New Hampshire, for Chrissake, not Manhattan." 

"But you don't look New Hampshire. You look Manhattan." 

"You want me to dress like I did when I lived in New Hampshire? I'll be campaigning in jeans or riding pants from now on." 

"Come on, ma'am. You may have lived on a farm but you've never been some Daisy Duke hayseed. You were a professional career woman in a big city." 

"Yes, I was, and guess what, Bruno?" She leaned forward as if she were telling him a secret. "Sometimes I actually wore leather skirts for office hours." 

Bruno sighed, trying to hold on to his patience. "I'm just saying that image is very important. There is a lot that you have to take into account and one of those things is the jealousy factor." 

"The jealousy factor?" 

"Yes. Right now young girls look up to you. They want to be you. Older women that aren't upset by the fact that you have a tattoo on your ass can be swayed by the fact that you have young children." 

"Did you actually look at those pictures, Bruno?" Abbey asked, coldly. "The tattoo is on my HIP not my ASS." 

"I beg your pardon, the tattoo on your HIP. It's the women 25-55 that we have to worry about – your contemporaries." 

"Why, I'm most like them, juggling husband, work, and children." 

"Yes, and you're doing it all looking spectacular in designer clothes and jewels. After five children your figure is amazing. You look as great in a bikini as you do in a low cut ball gown or even jeans. You have expensive beautiful clothes. You have beautiful children and you have a handsome husband who worships the ground that you walk on. Hell, I'm even jealous of you." 

"My life isn't perfect. It's not easy trying to juggle everything, even for me." 

"I'm sure it isn't. So let's hear about that in _Ladies Home Journal_. Tell American women you are just like them, trying to please your husband, your children, your work, and still have enough time to be true to yourself. Don't make it look so damn easy. Men are not a problem, Abbey, young, old, dead, they all think you're one hot number; it's their wives that we need to worry about. We can change them from being jealously catty about you to admiring and sympathizing with you very easily. We need you to be more like the soccer moms." 

Abbey's jaw dropped open with shock. "I AM a soccer mom!" she exploded with frustration. "Do you even know what it means to be a soccer mom? How many times did YOU pace up and down a soccer field with a crying nursing baby in your arms knowing that you had to find a quiet place to sit and nurse her but trying to put her off with your finger or a pacifier because her sister, your eldest daughter, is in the game and if you leave, even for a few minutes it will just have to be the moment that she scores the winning goal and she will never forgive you for missing it and you would never forgive yourself. How many times did you spend half your night up with a colicky baby then have to go into work and spend the entire morning in surgery only to turn around and have to drive forty minutes back to your middle daughter's school for a parent teacher conference, after which you get to go home and try deal with the cranky baby and ten little girls who are coming over for a Girl Scouts meeting? How many times did you have to stand in a receiving line, your body still tired, aching and sore from giving birth to twins and have to smile and shake the hands of two hundred people at a White House gala?" Abbey's chest was heaving with emotion and she glared at him waiting for a typical smart-ass remark. She didn't get it. 

"Never. I've never had to experience anything like that. I'm sorry Abbey. I didn't mean for it to come off like I think that your life is easy, or that you haven't had to struggle or balance. It's a perception thing. You're a strong woman. You like to come across as a strong woman. All I'm asking is that you let people know that you aren't superwoman and that no woman should be expected to be a superwoman." 

"No." 

"No?" He looked surprised. He wasn't asking for much, hadn't asked her to use the children as props as he'd planned. 

"I think that every woman is a superwoman, no matter what she does." 

"Okay, fine. But, just let them know it all doesn't come as easy as they think to you." 

"You aren't going to ask me to wear flats, or start wearing caftans?" Abbey grinned. 

"Would I have a chance?" He grinned back. 

"Hell no." 

"That's why I didn't ask." Bruno got to his feet and extended his hand. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you." 

Abbey nodded and shook her head, but just as he reached the door she stopped him. 

"Bruno, can I ask you for some advice?" 

"Really?" Bruno's eyes widened. 

"Don't let it go to your head. I was just wondering. Jed is still down in the polls in New Hampshire, isn't he?" 

"Yes. It's not that they don't like him. You know how much they love him up there, but that's the problem. They feel even more betrayed by his keeping the M.S. a secret. He was their favorite son. He should have told them first, at least that's what they think." 

Abbey nodded. She understood that people in their home state were upset. "What can I do to help? It's going to hurt him a lot if he loses that state." 

"You sure you want to hear what I have to say?" 

"I asked, didn't I?" 

"Go up there as much as you can. Spend time on the farm. Let yourself be photographed on the farm with the kids. Take them to their New Hampshire pediatrician. Just let the people know that you haven't gotten full of yourselves, that you are still just Jed and Abbey Bartlet of New Hampshire and you haven't forgotten your roots." 

Abbey absorbed his advice then nodded. "Thank you. I'll think about it." 

"You're welcome. See ya in Texas." He turned to leave. 

"See you in Texas." she said softly, but her eyes had fallen to that picture of she and Jed at the Taj Mahal and she ran a loving finger over the glass that covered her husband's jaw. It had been much, much too long since she had last seen him. "I'll see YOU in Texas," she smiled and kissed the tip of her finger pressing it to the picture of her husband's face. 


	14. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Abbey stared out the sedan window as the driver continued down a dusty dirt lane. They'd been on the same lane for the past ten minutes and she had yet to see a house or outbuilding or even a person. For as far as her eyes could see, the fenced-in land was flat, brown, desolate, and yet beautiful in a lonely kind of way. There was nothing cozy or intimate about Texas; Texas was wide open and exposed with seemingly no place to hide. For a private person who would have preferred to retreat to the green hills of New Hampshire from the horrible violation of her privacy, it was disconcerting to say the least. Texas would not allow her any shield; here she would have to come out swinging. 

She had been to Texas before, to Houston and Dallas and Austin, but she had never been to John and Suzanne Hoynes' West Texas ranch. It amazed her how long it took to get to their house from where the small motorcade had turned off the highway. It was a full twenty minutes before the car pulled up in front of the big ranch style house, more than half her commute from Manchester to Boston. If Jed thought their farm was out in the middle of nowhere, he was going to be in for a rude awakening when he flew in Marine One over the hundreds of acres of mesquite studded flatlands to his Vice President's home. 

What struck Abbey most as she unbuckled her children out of their car seats and helped them out of the car was the lack of trees. The Hoynes house stood out starkly against the horizon, no stately old oaks casting protective shadows over its roof and porches. No pretty maples to lend cooling shade for a rest in a hammock or tall green pine trees lending their fresh woodsy scent to the air. Here, there was no respite from the hot relenting sun. Abbey felt it burning down on her as soon as she stepped from the air-conditioned car. Even at the end of September, the heat was brutal, the wind hot and dusty. 

"Hello." 

Abbey gazed up to see Suzanne descending from the house. 

"Hi Suzanne." Abbey gave her a brief hug after which Suzanne quickly turned her attention to the two blond children clutching tightly to Abbey's legs. 

"Hello, Nicholas. Hello, Aislinn. I sure am glad that you were able to join your mommy and daddy for a visit with us." 

"Daddy?" Nicholas asked, looking around for his absent father. 

"Daddy will be joining us at the rodeo this afternoon," Abbey assured him. "Can you both say hello to Mrs. Hoynes?" 

Aislinn buried her face deeper into Abbey's leg and Nicholas peered up at the strange woman warily. 

"It's okay," Suzanne smiled. "They're tired and they don't know me very well at all. Why don't y'all come inside where it's cool and we can have a nice cold drink. Do you two like apple juice?" 

Nicholas nodded bashfully and Aislinn added her agreement. 

"Thank you for inviting them," Abbey said, as she took each child in hand and they made their way slowly to house. 

"I just knew they'd have a ball at the rodeo and I'm thrilled that you decided to bring them. It's been too long since I've heard the patter of little feet in this place." John Hoynes, Jr. was in his last year of law school and Margaret Hoynes was at the University of Texas. 

"You might regret saying that," Abbey grinned. "They aren't always this quiet. Once they're over their shyness they may be hell on wheels." 

"Good, they'll liven the place up. My empty nest is a lonely one." 

There was something in Suzanne's eyes, a sadness that led Abbey to believe that all was not right with her. For a moment, her mind flashed on the rumors she'd heard over the years about John but dismissed them right away. If John Hoynes were having affairs in this day in age, it would be all over the _National Enquirer_. Nobody could keep something like that quiet anymore. It couldn't be that. Maybe Suzanne really was just lonely in her empty nest. 

**** 

After the children had their juice and Abbey and Suzanne their glasses of iced tea, Suzanne showed Abbey to the room that had been designated for the twins while they were at the ranch house. The agents had already set up their port-a-cribs and the two women, with a little help from Isabelle, laid the children down for a short nap before their long afternoon at the rodeo. With the kids safely down, Suzanne led Abbey to a room where she could change. The Bartlets were actually going to be staying in the guesthouse down by the creek, but for now she just needed somewhere to change and to relax. 

"So, what exactly does one wear to a rodeo?" Abbey asked. 

Suzanne stared at her with wide eyes. "You've NEVER been to a rodeo? EVER?" 

"I can't say as I have. They don't exactly pop up all over New England. Probably the closest that I've come are equestrian events." 

"Honey, this ain't no East Coast equestrian event." Suzanne tossed aside the streamlined skirts and dresses that Abbey had pulled out for her perusal. "And you'll kill yourself walking around on these in the dirt and sand." She tossed an expensive pair of slingback heels back onto the bed. 

"Then what should I wear? Bruno wants me to fit in, but somehow I don't see myself in some frilly lined denim skirt and rhinestone studded western shirt." 

"No doubt a lot of women will be dressed like that, but you're right. That isn't you. You brought jeans, didn't you?" 

"Of course, I always pack jeans." 

"No cowboy boots, I suppose?" 

"Not a pair." 

"You'd swim in mine. Hold on, I bet Mags has a pair I can lend you." And so began the melding of casual Texas and stylish East Coast. 

**** 

"And now I give you, America's First Lady, Abigail Bartlet." 

Abbey made her way to the podium, moisture trickling down her back and between her breasts. It was 96 degrees in the shade, that is if there had been any shade. It was not the humid, breath stealing heat of Louisiana; instead this was a heat that baked, a heat that rode on the wind. Abbey had rarely felt anything like it. She was used to cool breezes coming in off the ocean, or down from the mountains and Canada. This wind felt as if it had come from the very fires of hell and it brought with it the smell of livestock and manure, frying food and cotton candy. She swallowed and started to climb up to the podium. She wasn't even supposed to be making this speech. Jed should be sweltering on this stage, not her. But, Air Force One had been running late and Leo had faxed her the speech Toby had written and asked her to make it for him. Abbey just prayed that she didn't pass out right in the middle of it. 

She took the stage just as the presidential motorcade was turning into the parking lot, the cheering and catcalls so loud that she didn't even notice their arrival. 

"Would you look at that," Bruno exclaimed as they all began climbing out of the black cars. There on stage stood Abbey in a pair of slim fitting jeans tucked into black cowboy boots and a white sleeveless blouse that buttoned up the back. A trendy black Stetson sat on the top of her shoulder length copper curls. 

"She makes one hell of a cowgirl," Jed grinned with puffed up husbandly appreciation. 

CJ bit back her smile and leaned in to whisper to Bruno "Weren't you the one telling us just how well your talk with Abbey went?" 

"It did. She's doing just what I told her to do." 

"You told her to look like a sexy cowgirl?" 

"Of course not," he sighed. "I told her to fit in." 

CJ burst into laughter just as there was a loud gasp from the crowd. 

Abbey turned to see what people were gaping at and a big smile crossed her face. Aislinn had gotten free from Isabelle and was toddling her way across the stage wearing jeans and tiny cowboy boots just like her mother. The boots for both kids had been a gift from the Hoyneses. Aislinn faltered when the crowd began to cheer and Abbey saw her face start to crumple. 

"Mama…" she whimpered, as she slipped her fingers into her mouth. 

"It's okay, Ash." Abbey bent down and opened her arms wide. "Come here, angel." 

Aislinn raced toward her mother and the crowd cheered louder as Abbey lifted her up onto her hip. Aislinn clung to Abbey's neck, her pale blond curls mixing with Abbey's fiery ones. 

Jed stood watching his girls on the stage. Other than the color of her hair, which Aislinn had inherited from him, she was a small replica of her mother, he thought with a smile of possessive pride. They had the same smile, the same dimple in the right cheek, and the same pretty hazel eyes framed by long lashes. 

Her speech finished, Abbey introduced country singer Toby Keith to the crowd and she and Aislinn waved good bye as they left the stage for the entertainment segment to begin. 

"How did you get her to agree to that?" Josh breathed with awe. 

"Agree to what?" Bruno asked. 

"How did you get Mrs. B. to agree to having Aislinn come out on stage like that? You're my hero." Josh bowed as if bowing to Mecca. 

"I'd like to take the credit for it but that was none of my doing. I will, however, have to slip a fifty to Miss Aislinn for a job well done." 

Loud, raucous country music emanated from the stage and one of the local cowboys noticed Abbey's foot tapping to the beat as she watched a group of people line dancing. He finally got up the nerve and approached her. 

"Would you like to dance, ma'am?" he asked. 

"Oh…uh…I don't think so, but thanks for asking. I don't know how to do…that," she gestured toward the group. She wasn't a huge country music fan, and had never really had the opportunity to learn any type of country western dancing. 

"There really isn't all that much to it. Come on, we'll show you." 

Abbey looked up to see three other cowboys join their friend and relented. After all, she was supposed to fit in and she did love to dance. 

Jed made his way across the field to where he had seen Abbey walk off the stage. The music was deafening as he walked in front of the stage and as he came around the side, he stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening. There was his tiny wife surrounded by four big young brawny cowboys who were intent on teaching her how to line dance. Abbey was laughing as she messed up on the steps, her cheeks flushed. She was obviously enjoying herself to the beat of the music. 

> _And you're lookin' right, lookin' good, lookin' like a woman should_  
>  So why is it so hard to find   
> A place to lay your pretty little head down once in a while   
> You run on a little tough luck baby   
> Don't you sweat it   
> Everything is waiting inside for you   
> You know I got it   
> Come and get it   
> Who's your daddy, who's your baby?   
> Who's your buddy, who's your friend?…….

Abbey turned the wrong way and stumbled into one of the cowboys. His hand immediately reached out to grab her hip. That was when the young man felt the strong grip of another man grasp his forearm. He turned, the grin leaving his face as he took in the steely gaze of the President of the United States, and he let go of Abbey as if she were on fire. Jed had an immense moment of satisfaction at seeing the fear in the young man's eyes. 

"Uh, ma'am, I think there's somebody waiting to see you." 

Laughing, Abbey turned from the others to see her husband standing before her in a pair of jeans; a short sleeved camel colored chambray shirt and a matching Stetson. Jed Bartlet, New Hampshire scholar, Dartmouth professor, Nobel Laureate should have looked foolish in a ten gallon hat but he didn't. He looked hot, with a capitol H.O.T. He was the best damn thing that she'd seen in a very long time. 

He opened his arms to her and she grinned from ear to ear throwing her arms around his neck and hanging on tightly for a long moment. She pressed her face into the warmth of his neck inhaling deeply. He smelled so good, of sun, sweat, soap and pure Jed Bartlet. 

"How's my best gal?" he asked into her hair. 

"Much better now." She pulled back from him to take in his features and ran a finger along his cheekbone. "I've missed you." 

"Really? You looked like you were having entirely too much fun with those young pups drooling all over you," he growled. But, despite the grouchiness of his tone, Abbey could see the teasing light in his eyes and she smiled up at him, her nose wrinkling just the way he loved. She had forgotten about the cowboys as soon as she had seen Jed and now she turned so that she could introduce them. A puzzled frown crossed her face as she realized that they were gone. 

"Oh, they high-tailed it on out of here, darlin'. They didn't want to face any whoopin' for manhandling my woman like that." 

"Uh, Jed," Abbey chuckled. "You've been in Texas for all of about fifteen minutes, are you going to continue to talk like John Wayne the whole weekend?" 

"Why, does it turn you on?" 

"John Wayne doesn't, but Jed Bartlet in a Stetson does set my heart to racing." 

Just as Jed bent to kiss the tip of Abbey's nose, he felt two little missiles hit him from behind with a loud shriek. 

"DADDY!" 

Jed turned, his grin growing wider as he saw that Isabelle had let his children go. 

"Hey, little cowgirl." He lifted Aislinn high in the air holding her over his head. 

"Uh, Jed, she just ate a hot dog" Abbey warned him. "Unless you want it all over you, I'd put her down." 

Knowing his daughter's proclivity for vomiting on him, Jed quickly settled her against his chest. 

"Up, up," Nicholas demanded as he tugged on Jed's jeans. Jed handed Aislinn over to Abbey and bent to pick up his son and give him a big noisy bear hug and kiss. 

"Well, now that I've found all of you, how about we mosey on over to our front row seats so we can watch some barrel racing." 

"Horsy?" Aislinn asked. She'd been promised horses. 

"Oh yeah, sunshine." Jed assured her. "You'll see lots of horsies." 

"Well then, let's go." Abbey looked up at Jed. "I'll mosey, if you can show me how." 

"It's easy, darlin'. You just gotta pretend like you had a long hard ride the night before –" 

"On a horse?" Abbey teased. 

"I can think of a ride that might prove to be a little more fun." 

"Why, Mr. President, I do believe that your mind is in the gutter." 

"Only when it comes to you, baby." He gave her a discreet pinch on the ass when what he really wanted to do was slide the palms of his hands over her tight round little butt that was displayed so enticingly in her form fitting jeans and give her a good squeeze. 

**** 

The First Couple made their way through the livestock barns on the way to their seats. The children were fascinated by the Longhorn cattle that were so different from the smaller black and white dairy cows they were familiar with from their New Hampshire farm. 

They stopped at a demonstration of ranch doctoring, pausing to watch the branding of a group of calves. The bawling cries and the thrashing of the calves proved to be too much for the kids. 

"Mumma…Mumma," Aislinn cried, lifting her arms for Abbey to pick her up while Nicholas buried his face against Jed's leg. 

"I don't blame you, sweetheart," Abbey wrinkled her nose against the stench of burning flesh and tucked her daughters head under her chin. "I don't like watching that either." 

At the next exhibition where the calves were being inoculated, one of the cowboys approached Abbey. 

"You're a doctor, right, Mrs. Bartlet?" 

It was on the tip of Abbey's tongue to say that she used to be, instead she looked him in the eye. "Yes." 

"You want to give it a try?" He handed her a syringe. 

"Oh, I don't know. I've never inoculated cattle before." 

"There's nothing to it. Much easier than people, I'm sure." 

"Go for it, Abs," Jed grinned, a squirming Nicholas wiggling in his arms. 

"What do you think, honey?" Abbey looked down at her daughter not wanting to upset her any further. "Do you think Mommy should give that calf a shot?" 

Aislinn looked at the syringe and shook her head negatively. 

"It will keep the calf from getting sick. You don't want the calf to get sick, do you?" 

"No." Aislinn shook her curls again. 

"So, what do you think? You think Mommy should give it a shot to keep it from getting sick?" 

Aislinn looked torn for a moment then nodded that it was okay with her. Abbey transferred her to Jed's other arm and made her way into the stall. 

Beaming with pride, a child in each arm, Jed watched Abbey step over piles of cow manure to set to inoculating the five calves they had presented her with. As she finished the last calf, she lifted the Stetson from her head and fanned herself with it. It was hot, dusty and gritty in the barn and more than a little stuffy. 

"I'm a bit spoiled," she told the cowboys and the two journalists who had been allowed to follow them through the barns. "I usually do this kind of work in quiet air conditioned conditions." 

"And I'm sure it smells better," one of the cowboys grinned as he handed her a bandanna so she could wipe her sweaty brow. 

"Oh, just a little." She smiled as she handed the cowboy his bandanna back. 

As she started to leave the stall, the people who had been watching the demonstration began to clap and cheer for her. Abbey gave a quick little bow and exited the stall to where her husband stood with her two grinning clapping children. She saw Jed whisper something to them and as she approached they both cried out, "Yay Mommy!" 

"Yeah. Yay Mommy" Jed squeezed her hand. 

"You know they're castrating the young bulls calves in the next barn," said the cowboy with a big grin. "Want to give that a try?" 

"Don't give her any ideas. She doesn't need to be knowing how to do that." Jed shuddered. 

"It's not that hard, sweetheart," Abbey whispered in his ear. "I'm a surgeon. I could probably figure it out." 

"I'll keep that in mind," he grimaced. 

"Daddy," Aislinn said impatiently tugging on his ear. "Canny, canny." 

"Canny?" Abbey asked. 

"I…uh, promised to get them both cotton candy to eat while they watch the rodeo." 

"Oh you did, did you? Well, then you can be the one to chase them around when the sugar high sets in." 

"Don't I always?" 

"You really want me to answer that?" Her eyes narrowed. 

"No, I guess I don't." He slid an arm around her waist. "Come on, I'll spring for one for you, too." 

"I can steal some from the kids. I'd prefer a candy apple." 

"A candy apple it is then. Let's go." 

**** 

Back at the ranch, the fundraiser was being held as an outdoor barbecue. Tents had been erected and a band played in one while another held long tables of food. Not far from the tents, beef dripping with barbecue sauce rotated on the open pits. 

It was early and only one of the guests of honor was present. Abbey, wearing a midnight blue strapless taffeta gown, was holding down the court while Jed met inside with some big money oilmen. She was chatting with former Governor Ann Richards and a couple of local congressmen when she felt her husband's presence. She could actually feel his eyes burning into her back and the small hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She turned slowly knowing all the while that he was watching her, the pull of his connection too strong to deny. Sure enough, all the way across the dance floor that had been laid out, Jed stood in his tuxedo. Across the crowd their gazes met and held, unwavering, despite the presence of so many people. 

Abbey noticed that a heavy set man stood beside Jed puffing on a cigar and talking a mile a minute but Jed was all but ignoring him, his sharply intense eyes only on her. They'd been with the children all afternoon and he'd been in meetings later. There hadn't been any private time for them and it had been had been so long since she had physically been in his presence, felt the magnetism of his charisma, the pull of their mutual attraction. Abbey found herself, right there on the dance floor, aching to feel his arms around her, to lay her head against his chest and feel his heartbeat while he danced with her. To lay underneath his stronger body and feel him pounding away between her legs. She longed to feel the utter perfection of being satiated and wrapped in his arms listening to the low murmur of his beautiful voice telling her how much he missed her, how much he needed her. And yet, it wasn't just the sex that she missed when they were apart; it was his complete absence in AND out of her bed, the feeling that a part of her was missing and the need to be whole again. 

She took a quick swallow from her glass of champagne and, on suddenly shaky legs, she started across the dance floor her eyes never leaving his. 


	15. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Abbey wasn't halfway across the floor when she was stopped by Suzanne and surrounded by a group of almost identical large breasted women with big hair and even bigger diamonds. Suzanne made the introductions – these were the wives of some of the oilmen Jed had been meeting with. Abbey had to bite back a grin when she thought of the doddering old white haired group of men that had gone into the house with Jed being with these women who were young enough to be their daughters and, in some cases, granddaughters. She smiled politely making all the right social niceties all the while knowing she would never be able to tell one Miss Texas candidate from the next. 

By the time she was able to gaze past them back to where Jed had been standing, it was too late. People surrounded him as well and any hope of private time between them was dashed. This party was purely going to be about politics and nothing else. She knew the score; she'd been to enough of these to know her role. Still, she couldn't help but wish that she could spend some time with her husband. 

Disappointed, she turned to go inside to the ladies room and nearly bumped into Bruno. 

"You made a great speech today," he told her. 

"Thanks," she said, surprised, then gave him a sly grin. "I tried to fit in." 

"Yeah," Bruno smiled. "I saw that. I'll have to remember to watch what I say to you, won't I?" 

"Oh, come on, Bruno, it's not so bad. I could look like one of the implant crowd over there." Abbey turned toward the group of Anna Nicole Smith wannabes she'd just been introduced to in their bright skintight sheaths, their enhanced breasts spilling out of their dresses. 

Bruno glanced at the top heavy group then took in the elegance of Abbey's upswept auburn hair and her strapless Givenchy gown, the way it nipped in at her waist and revealed only the barest hint of her lovely natural breasts. Her only jewelry was a pretty necklace of subtle diamond crescents and small dark sapphire drops in her ears. Everything about her screamed class. 

"You look very pretty." 

"Why, Bruno, is that actually a compliment about how I look coming from YOUR mouth?" 

"I never said you didn't look good. If you'll remember correctly the problem was that I thought you looked TOO good." 

"Thank you," Abbey flashed him a pleased smile. "I think I'll take that as a compliment." 

"A grudging one," he agreed. "Now if you'll excuse you, there are some people that I want to make sure the President meets." 

"By all means." 

**** 

Coming out of the ladies room, Abbey paused for a moment at the windows overlooking the party below. Jed was being introduced to one of the Anna Nicoles and the woman was fawning all over him. Abbey's eyes narrowed as the woman shook Jed's hand and blatantly pressed her huge breasts into his arm. Jed laughed at something she said but Abbey noticed him discreetly take a step back. 'That's my man' she thought to herself with satisfaction. 

"Abbey?" Suzanne had stepped up next to her and was watching the President and the flirting blond. 

"Hi, I just came in to use the ladies room. I better get back outside and raise more money." Abbey turned to walk away, but Suzanne grasped her forearm almost desperately. 

"Do you ever worry?" she asked. Abbey was surprised to see the sheen of tears in Suzanne's eyes. 

"Worry about what?" Abbey looked puzzled. 

"About the President…and THEM," she gestured down to where another woman had pressed up to Jed's other side. "He's a very good looking man – charismatic. And power is an incredible aphrodisiac." 

"Yes, he is," Abbey agreed. "And, yes, I'll admit that being with the most powerful man in the world can be one hell of a turn on, but, no, I don't worry. Oh, I have my jealous moments, believe me, but deep down inside I trust Jed." 

"These women throw themselves at our men, Abbey. That isn't easy to resist." 

"Our MEN are not teenage boys, Suzanne. They're old enough to have self-control and to know the difference between right and wrong. I've had men make passes at me over the years. Sometimes it's insulting, sometimes it's flattering, but none of it means anything. It's not like I'd ever consider throwing over my marriage vows or my commitment to Jed and I expect the same from him." 

"And you never worry about having him on too long a leash?" 

"I don't have him on leash at all. A relationship has to be based on trust, without that you have nothing but fear and insecurity. If I had to have Jed on a leash, I'd know that he was never really mine to begin with." 

Suzanne nodded, her eyes still riveted to the party, this time to where her own husband was chatting up a storm with a beautiful young woman. She wished to God that she could be as sure of her man as Abbey was of the President, but then again, John didn't have a particularly great track record when it came to fidelity. 

"Are you okay, Suzanne?" Abbey asked with concern. "Is there anything you want to talk about?" 

Suzanne looked at Abbey. How nice it would be to confide in another person all her doubts and fears but she couldn't do it. Not with Abbey. She couldn't bear to have the shame and humiliation of John's womanizing come to light. "No," she said finally. "I'm fine. We better get back down, they'll be missing us." 

**** 

Jed's eyes scanned the guests that crowded around the dance floor trying to locate his wife. He'd seen her return from the house with Suzanne Hoynes but she'd been whisked away almost immediately. Finally, he caught a glimpse of her bright hair gleaming in the moonlight. She was, yet again, the center of attention of a small group of guests. She was as in demand tonight as he was. He watched her telling stories and laughing and generally charming the socks off the contributors. She could be damn good at this stuff when she wanted to be. 

Determined to throw her slightly off balance, Jed made his way over to the makeshift bar, ostensibly to get another scotch and water, but really because to get there he had to walk past his wife. As he did so, he paused for a moment placing a hand on the small of her back and dropping a quick kiss on her bare shoulder. Abbey stiffened with surprise at the feel of his warm lips on her skin. Damn him, he always knew just how to get her all hot and bothered and she'd planned on having the upper hand tonight. 

Knowing the inner turmoil he had just created within her, Jed took her hand for the sole purpose of feeling her racing pulse. "I'm going over to the bar. Can I get you a refill?" he asked. 

Just as determined not to be thrown off balance, Abbey simply handed him her glass and turned back to her many admirers. 

Ah, so that's the way she wanted to play it, Jed thought as he made his way to the bar. Nobody was better at playing hard to get than Abbey, and nobody enjoyed the thrill of the pursuit more than he did. It was going to be a fun evening. 

**** 

With the party in full swing, Abbey was able to elude Jed fairly easily. She accepted every offer to dance, but while she swayed in other men's arms, she kept waiting, anticipating the tap on the shoulder that would indicate her husband cutting in. He didn't. 

Jed knew that Abbey was waiting for him to cut in but he was deliberately not asking her to dance. He watched her lifting old Senator Smithers' hands from where they fell too familiarly close to her rear. Normally that was his cue to move in. Not this time, she was expecting that. 

Frustrated, Abbey tried to put some air between her and George Smithers. She'd only accepted his offer to dance because she knew it would draw Jed's ire. The old coot had never been able to keep his hands to himself and tonight was no different. But, Jed was not rushing to her rescue this evening. She looked over George's shoulder trying to catch a glimpse of her husband. She found him on the edge of the dance floor talking with John Hoynes. Abbey swallowed at the sexy half smile he sent her way. That damn smile that always caused her breath to catch in her throat no matter how many times he'd flashed it at her. It took her a moment but she quickly regained her composure, her eyes shooting daggers at him. 

"I think your wife is looking for some help," John said with a half smile. "Smithers doesn't give up easily, does he?" 

"She got herself into that mess. She'll have to get herself out." 

John looked at Jed with surprise. He'd been around the President enough to know just how possessive he was over his wife. Then he noticed that Jed wasn't quite as nonchalant as he'd seemed, the man was watching his wife like a hawk. 

"You mind if I give her a break?" 

"Be my guest." 

John set his club soda down and made his way across the dance floor to cut in on the First Lady. He'd almost made it to Abbey when CJ stepped in front of him. CJ knew exactly where he was headed. She'd watched him dancing closer than protocol would dictate with several buxom young women and saw the predatory gleam in his eye as he made his way across the floor. 

"Hey, CJ," he grinned. 

CJ eyed him stonily. That charm did not work on her anymore. "Where are you going?" 

"The First Lady has the imprint of George Smithers' hands all over her butt. I'm moving in for the rescue." 

"Why, so you can replace them with yours?" CJ asked snidely. 

"CJ." John gave her the wounded little boy look that always worked so well with women, only this time it wasn't working on CJ. 

"Don't do it, John. Leave the First Lady alone. She's not on the market." 

John leaned in close and spoke softly for CJ's ears only, "I'm not stupid enough to start anything with Abbey." 

"I mean it, John. Leave Abbey alone." CJ's tone was firm and John took heed. Here was a woman who could truly damage him and he wasn't willing to risk that for a dance with Abbey. 

"You don't give me much credit for having any character at all, do you?" 

"You forget, I know firsthand all about your lack of character. Why don't you ask your wife to dance? I think that might be a little more appropriate." 

John looked over to where Suzanne stood chatting with the CEO of an oil company and a small pang clenched his heart. She was a good woman, a good wife and a good mother; she didn't deserve the pain that he'd caused her with his roving eye. God, if she knew about…Guilt and remorse ate at him and he moved away from Abbey towards his wife. 

Jed had watched the little exchange between John and CJ with a puzzled look. He had no idea why his press secretary would have such a stern look on her face as she spoke with his Vice President or why John veered from asking Abbey to dance to asking Suzanne instead. 

He didn't have much time to ponder the meeting for it was announced that it was time to sit down for supper. 

In keeping with the down home barbecue theme, seating had not been arranged. However, both the Bartlets and the Hoyneses had been in politics long enough to know that they would have to divide up, one for each table so they could meet with as many people as possible. 

Later, with the main course finished and some people milling about while others still ate their dessert, Jed was finally able to make his move. He found Abbey at a table picking at her chocolate mousse and chatting with columnist/author Molly Ivins. Jed had always gotten a kick out of Molly's humor and he eagerly joined in the conversation although he did have an ulterior motive. Abbey felt him pressing up closer and closer to her and wondered just what he was up to. She didn't have to wonder for long. She felt his hand on her leg, kneading the fabric of her gown. She knew exactly what he was looking for, the slit in the side. She saw the slight grin touch his lips as he found it and slipped his hand inside to run over the silk stockings that covered her knee. 

Abbey tried to push his insistent hand off but her effort was half hearted, as she knew that to really fight him would only draw attention to what he was doing. The man certainly did know how to pick his battles. 

Jed knew he had her between a rock and hard place and he was enjoying himself immensely. He traced his index finger lightly over the curve of her knee, then began to inch higher and higher up her thigh. 

Abbey swallowed trying to continue chatting with the guests that still sat at the table and trying equally hard not to squirm. What Jed was doing to her under the table was all the more erotic because they were in the middle of a party. Abbey did get a moment of satisfaction as Jed's fingers inched higher up her thigh and encountered the lace edge of her stockings. She saw his face tighten the moment his fingers touched the bare flesh of her inner thigh and he realized that she wasn't wearing pantyhose. His fingers only lingered for a few more moments before he shifted in his seat and withdrew his hand. 

Abbey saw him grab a glass of water and take a large gulp. The look on his face and the slight flush on his cheeks told Abbey all she needed to know about why he'd withdrawn his hand. For verification purposes, and a little payback, she slipped her own hand under the tablecloth and slid her fingers softly over her husband's crotch. She watched him clutch more tightly to his glass as she traced the tell-tale bulge she knew she'd find there. 

Abbey leaned in to whisper into his ear. "You know what happens when you play with fire, stud muffin? You get burned." 

"Burn me, baby, burn me," he whispered back with a little wink. 

Abbey grinned down at him and got to her feet knowing that Jed would have to wait for a few more minutes before he was in any condition to follow. "Leo, Sam and Josh just got here. I'm going to go over and say hi." 

Jed scowled at her departing form. It wasn't fair that she could so easily walk away from their teasing play while his body would blare to the world what they'd been up to. 

Abbey approached the trio of men. Her first thought was to ask Leo to dance; however she nixed the idea immediately. Using Leo to get at Jed would be cruel, and Leo was trying so hard to make things right again. She wasn't going to jeopardize that. Instead, she turned to Sam. 

"Dance with me, Sam." It was an order not a request. 

"Uh…ma'am," Sam stuttered nervously, as she dragged him out to the dance floor 

"What's the matter, Sam? Don't you want to dance with me?" 

Sam gave a nervous glance over to where the President was sending black looks his way. He never passed up the chance to dance with a beautiful woman, but when that woman's husband was eyeing him with looks that could kill and when that woman's husband happened to be his boss it didn't seem like such a smooth move. "Well, uh, it's just…the President doesn't look too happy." 

"Be a man, Sam." Abbey took his hand and placed it on her hip then moved in closer to his chest, thankful that it was a slow song, knowing it wouldn't take Jed long to get over his stew and make his way to them. 

Sam noticed the First Lady's eyes were constantly gazing over his shoulder looking at the President. "Is there something that I should be aware of? Are you using me to make the President angry? I mean I really don't want to get in the middle of any…" 

"Oh for heaven's sake, Sam, this is the twenty-first century, not the eighteenth. I highly doubt Jed is going to call you out for dancing too close to his wife." 

Sam wondered for a moment if the First Lady knew what she was talking about, for as she spoke the President was making his way across the dance floor, a steely look on his face. Sam held his breath, letting it out with relief when the President merely tapped his shoulder. 

"I'm cutting in." Jed's tone was curt and Sam stepped away immediately. 

"You're supposed to ask permission," Abbey reprimanded him. "You're being rude." 

"I'm cutting in," Jed insisted, and, nearly pushing Sam aside, he wrapped a quick arm around Abbey's waist and pulled her up tightly against him. 

"It's okay, ma'am…" Sam turned to walk away, happy to be out of the awkward situation. Nothing good ever came from getting between the President and the First Lady. 

"Coward," Abbey called out to his retreating form. Sam simply nodded without turning around and made his way quickly off the dance floor. 

"You're wearing my necklace." Jed ran his finger underneath the necklace he'd created for her and over her collarbone. 

"Mmm…"Abbey shivered not only from the sensation of his finger on her skin but at the possessive statement. 

"So, what was that all about? Using one of my boys in your evil little manipulation?" 

"It worked, didn't it?" She gave him an impish smile that reminded him of their daughter. 

"You knew it would." 

"Yeah," she agreed and laid her head on his shoulder. 

Jed startled her by pulling back abruptly. "Well, don't think you have the upper hand quite yet, Dr. Bartlet." He took her hand and began leading her off the dance floor. 

"Jed, what are you doing?" Abbey asked urgently. "Where are we going?" 

"I want to dance with my wife." 

"Isn't that what we were doing?" 

"Not here. Not with everyone watching." He continued to pull her along leading her from the lights of the dance floor out into the darkness. 

"Jed, are you crazy? We can't just walk away from the party." 

"Why not?" 

"People are going to think…" 

"Let 'em think what they want." He started to drag her into Suzanne's garden, then stopped abruptly turning to the agents who were hustling along following them. "Guys, we'd like a little privacy. Could you please stay out here and make sure nobody comes in." 

"Yes, sir." 

"Oh, that was subtle," Abbey's sarcasm was not lost on Jed. 

"Yes, it was, wasn't it? I could have told them exactly what I'm going to do to you in this garden." 

"Really? You're awfully confident. What makes you think you'll be doing anything with me?" 

"Why don't I just show you." As Travis Tritt sang about the one and only you, he swept an arm around her waist and pulled her to him in one swift motion. He'd always loved just how perfectly they fit together. Abbey's head lay easily against his shoulder, her breasts crushed against his chest so he could feel her pebble hard nipples burning into him while his hardening erection nudged at her soft belly just above the juncture of her thighs. They were made for each other. He smiled as he felt the any resistance leave Abbey's body and she melted into him, all womanly softness. 

They swayed together gently, hidden in the shadows of the fragrant garden, the only reminder that a party was taking place the music that played in the background. 

> _Only you-can make this world seem right_  
>  Only you-can make the darkness bright   
> Only you and you alone   
> Can thrill me like you do   
> And fill my heart with love for only you. 
> 
> Only you-can make this change in me   
> For it's true-you are my destiny   
> When you hold my hand I understand   
> The magic that you do   
> You're my dream come true-my one and only you.

Abbey's head lay against Jed's chest, enjoying the feeling of his steady heartbeat against her cheek and the feel of his strong arms around her waist. She moved her arms up around his neck so her fingers could thread through the silky thickness of his hair. She could feel his lips moving in a silky caress down across her temple and the curve of her cheekbone until he found her earlobe nipping it lightly in a way he knew would get her pulse racing. 

Jed gave a soft moan into her hair as Abbey tossed away his bow tie and undid the first few buttons on his shirt so she could place her tongue against the salty tang of his neck and feel his rapid pulse. 

That wasn't the only thing that was pulsing. Abbey could feel him slowly grinding his erection against her belly in an imitation of the sex act knowing it was completely unconscious on his part. She moved her hands lower all the way down his spine to grab his rear and pull him more tightly against her, the ache between her thighs almost unbearable. However, that ache was unable to be assuaged by the rock hard penis that was just a little too high to reach the right spot. 

Knowing just what his wife was looking for, Jed pulled the slit of her skirt apart and slid his thigh between her legs just as his lips took hers in a deep soul stirring kiss. Abbey began to rock against his thigh, pressing and rubbing and grinding her breath hitching in her throat. Jed deepened his kiss, his hands moving to Abbey's hips to help her in the rhythm she needed. He swallowed the breathless little cries she made and when she came, she bit down hard on his lower lip. 

"Ow!" he exclaimed pulling his head back. 

Abbey stood breathless and shaky, surprised at how easy and fast the orgasm had been. She was still fully clothed. Then, she looked up and saw the drop of blood on Jed's lip. "Oh, God, baby, did I do that?" She reached out a finger to gently swipe the blood away. 

"It's nothing," he brushed aside her concern. 

"I'm sorry. I guess I lost control there." 

"I like making you lose control. But, you know, there is a way you can make it up to me." 

Abbey glanced down at his crotch, aware that her release had only heightened his arousal. Her hands immediately moved to his trousers. 

"Not yet." He stepped back. "I want to see you naked." 

"Jed." Abbey glanced around self consciously into the night. 

"Nobody's going to see you but me. I want to see what you've got on under that dress." 

Abbey still seemed a bit unsure as to whether she believed the agents would keep the other guests out. 

"Abbey, I'm going to make love to you in or out of that gown, so if you don't want me to ruin it you better take it off." 

That was all they'd need, Abbey thought, her returning to the party in a stained gown. Without a word she presented her slender back to Jed and with a grin of triumph he began to lower the zipper. 

The dress pooled at Abbey's feet and she stepped out of it, picking it up and laying it over one of the many benches in the garden. Jed's throat thickened and he couldn't seem to make himself swallow. Dear god, the woman was wearing a thong. Abbey turned back around to face him, her milky white breasts spilling out of the black bustier that she wore, the scanty thong barely covering the triangle between her thighs, her legs looking about a mile long in the sheer black thigh high stockings and stiletto slingbacks. If this was how tempting Eve had looked in the Garden of Eden, Jed didn't blame poor Adam for caving in to her; the man had never had a chance. There was nothing more alluring or tempting to a man than feminine sexual power. 

Abbey watched him try to swallow, saw his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with the effort. 

"God, you're beautiful," he groaned, taking a step forward. 

"Well, I have a reputation to uphold now that I'm one of the sexiest women in the world. I have to make sure that I look the part." 

"Oh, you look the part, baby." He reached out a finger to trace the thin line of soft skin revealed between the edge of the bustier and her panties. 

"I thought you wanted me naked." 

"I changed my mind. This time I want you just like this. We'll do naked later." 

Abbey felt deliciously sinful being half-naked while Jed was still fully clothed. She kept her sultry eyes locked with his desire glazed ones, as she watched him slowly slide the tiny thong down her legs. With the last of her impediments gone, she took a step forward and began unbuttoning his shirt, pressing kisses against his warm chest as she made her way down, nuzzling her cheek against the crinkly hair there. Her fingers stopped when she felt Jed's palms cover her breasts and she arched into him giving a sharp intake of breath when he rolled her nipple between his thumb and finger. Surprised that her need could grow so fast again, she quickly freed Jed from his pants wanting to feel him deeply inside her. Without any more preliminaries, Jed lifted her up against one of the non-indigenous trees Suzanne grew in the garden. Abbey cried out as the bark dug into her bare back. 

"Wait, Jed, that hurts." She pushed against his chest to stop him from penetrating. 

"Sorry," he mumbled against her lips, but instead of looking for another spot he simply turned around and slid down to the soft ground so he could lean against the tree himself. Abbey hovered over him for one agonizing moment, then slowly; exquisitely she slid down on him all the way until he was buried so deep and so full that she could barely breathe. She sat there on his lap fully penetrated while he suckled hard on her nipple, little bursts of pleasure shooting through her. She could feel his belly quivering with the tension of not moving within her. 

When she knew her body was ready she leaned down and whispered into Jed's ear, "Now, Jed." 

Like a Kentucky Derby racehorse just out of the starting gate Jed leapt forward, all the tension that had been keeping him still within her was released and he began surging his hips up and into her, his finger's digging into her hips to help her meet his demanding thrusts. 

Abbey loved the sound of his deeply masculine groans of pleasure. Her own breathless cries and whimpers were muffled against his bare shoulder as he worked within her, driving her back up to another peak. Just when she thought she couldn't bear it anymore, Jed slid his fingers between her thighs. 

"Jed!" His name came out as a half moan, half sob as she shattered into a million pieces, squeezing around him like a vice. Jed gave a couple more valiant thrusts into her contracting sheath but the tightness in her body was too much for him. With a deep, guttural groan he exploded deeply within her, his warm semen flooding her. 

They sat for several minutes against the tree, still attached, still trying to catch their breath. Smiles curved on both their lips as they heard the music from the party. Faith Hill and Tim McGraw were singing about wanting to make love all night long. 

It was Jed who finally broke the silence. "So, I've been meaning to ask you. Just who is your daddy?" 

Abbey looked puzzled for a moment then remembered the song she'd danced to with the cowboys. "You are." She kissed his forehead. 

"Who's your baby?" 

"You are," she breathed, rubbing her cheek against his sandpapery one. 

"Who's your buddy?" 

"You are." She flicked her fingertips over his nipples feeling his penis jump within her. 

"Who's your man?" 

"After what we just did, I wouldn't think you'd have to ask. You are. Only you." She kissed him gently still tasting the blood on his lip. Then, knowing they had to get back she eased herself off of him, already missing the warmth of his possession. 

Abbey searched fruitlessly for something with which to clean herself. Buttoning his shirt, Jed realized what she was looking for and pressed his handkerchief into her palm. 

"Ah, so these are good for something," she grinned. Abbey cleansed herself as best she could and Jed helped her back into her gown. 

"I can't find my bow tie," he said. "Do you remember where you flung it?" 

"No." Abbey was searching around the bench. "But don't feel bad, I can't find my underwear. Do you remember where you flung it?" 

"No." 

"Why are you grinning like that?" 

"I'm just picturing the gardener's face when he finds my bow tie and your thong sometime tomorrow among the azaleas." 

"I'll just have to sneak over here in the daylight and try to find them," Abbey decided. 

As they continued to search and dress, they heard an angry voice just outside the garden. It was John Hoynes. 

"Look, this is my house and that's my garden. How can you bar me from going in?" 

"The President is in there, sir. He asked for privacy." 

"Really?" John's mood changed and he grinned toward the garden. So Mr. Morality had himself a girlfriend, did he? He had to admit it really took balls to go off with a woman when your own wife was at the party. Even he'd never dared go that far. He wondered what Abbey's reaction would be. Would she need a shoulder to cry on? Would she take a lover out of revenge? He figured he ought to stick close by and see where things went with her so he turned to go and find the President's wife. 

"It's Abbey." 

John jumped at the icy voice. "Oh, Jesus, Suzanne, you scared the shit out of me. What are you talking about?" 

"I saw your face light up. You think the President has one of your little bimbos in there. He doesn't. He has Abbey. I saw them go off together." 

"Abbey?" 

"Yes, John. Some men actually have the hots for their wives." Suzanne turned on her heel and walked away. The fear that his wife was on to his latest mistress was like a pail of ice water thrown in John's face and the pleasure that he had taken in thinking that the President was no different than he was quickly evaporated. He was going to have to be much more careful. There was no telling what Suzanne would do if she found out that his latest was not a one-night stand but a mistress bought and kept. That was a huge danger in an election year. Politics and sex were a nasty combination and had been the downfall of many great men; he just hoped he could keep from being one of them. 


	16. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"Abbey, stop it," Jed scowled, as Abbey licked her fingers again to smooth his hair into place. "I'm not Nicky's age." 

"Well, right about now you're acting his age. Sit still and let me fix your hair before we go back out to the party." 

Jed rolled his eyes but let her fix his hair and wipe smudges of lipstick from his face and neck. 

"Now, what about me? Anything out of place." She twirled in front of him. 

Jed eyed her up and down. There were a few tendrils of hair that had come loose from her upswept hairdo and her lipstick was pretty much gone, but there was nothing about her that would draw attention to what they had been doing, at least nothing she could do anything about. If she knew about her slightly swollen lips and her flushed cheeks she might stay in the garden the rest of the night. Alone. "You look fine. Let's go." 

Jed took her hand and they re-entered the party arm and arm. 

"Mr. President, we've been looking for you." Linc Stewart, a heavy Hoynes contributor immediately bustled his way to the couple. 

"My wife was just showing me Suzanne Hoynes' beautiful garden." Jed turned to give Abbey a lazy, sly smile. "Amazing what she is able to grow out here without the benefit of rainfall. Did you know that this part of Texas only gets…" 

"Excuse me." Abbey managed to excuse herself knowing that, bless her husband's heart, he was going to bore Linc Stewart to tears with Texas weather trivia, which gave her the getaway that she needed. She immediately made a beeline to the ladies room, not trusting Jed's assessment of her presentability. 

She eyed herself critically in the mirror. Her pupils were dilated, her cheeks still flushed and her lipstick was completely gone. Look fine, my ass, she thought to herself. She reached into her purse for her cosmetic case pulling out a tube of lipstick and began to reapply the soft rose shade to her tender lips, then she did the best she could to fix the fallen tendrils of hair, finally deciding it looked better just to leave them curling down looking natural. 

After doing what she could to fix things, she turned to go back out the party and nearly bumped into one of the Anna Nicoles who was waiting to use the bathroom. As the woman passed her, she gave Abbey a little half smile and a wink. Abbey stood rooted for a moment in shock. Evidently she hadn't covered things up quite as well as she'd thought. 

**** 

It was well after midnight when Abbey and Jed finally stumbled wearily into the guesthouse that lay a few hundred yards from the ranch down by the creek. Suzanne had informed Abbey that in the ranch's heyday the cabin had been used to house the many ranch hands that worked the spread, but after the family turned more to oil rather than cattle they had transformed it into a little home for John's widowed mother. The widow Hoynes had lived there until her death seven years earlier and now they used it to host businessmen and dignitaries. Suzanne had felt that the President and First Lady might enjoy the cozy privacy the cabin afforded their family rather than staying at the ranch house like everyone else. She was right. 

Abbey kicked off her shoes as she entered the cabin and turned to Jed. "I'm going to check on the kids then take a bath before bed." 

Jed nodded and was already moving toward the phone. "I have a couple of calls I need to make." 

"Jed, it's almost one," Abbey protested. 

"Not in Germany." 

Abbey shook her head and presented him with her back so he could unzip her. He did so without prodding. 

After slipping into her robe, Abbey went down the hall to check on the kids. She moved stuffed animals, fixed blankets, brushed hair back and leaned against their cribs listening to the sweet sound of their breathing, the soft sighs and the sucking noises their lips made. They really were such good babies. She thanked God that they traveled as well as they did; they just seemed to go with the flow. As long as they were with mom or dad, it didn't seem to matter if they were sleeping in the White House, Harmony Point, New Hampshire, Air Force One, a strange hotel or even a cabin in Texas. She wondered if or how this would affect them later in life. Would it make them easygoing and able to accept change, or would it do the opposite and make them unsettled and fearful? She hoped it would be her first assessment and that she was doing the right thing in trying to keep them with her and Jed as much as possible. 

"Ma'am?" Izzy stood in the doorway in her bathrobe. 

"Sorry, Izzy, did I wake you?" 

"No, I was in my room reading. Is everything okay?" 

"Fine, I was just checking on them before I go to bed. How did they go down for you?" 

"A little fussing for you but nothing serious. I think they were a little overtired from the rodeo. They didn't eat much supper." 

"I don't doubt it. With everything their father bought them to eat at the rodeo it's a wonder they weren't sick all night." 

Izzy grinned. "He does love to spoil them." 

"Yes, he does." 

"Well, you can't blame him, I guess. He really loves them so much and he doesn't get to spend as much time with them as he'd like, so he sort of over compensates." 

Abbey nodded, although she could have told Izzy this was nothing new. Jed had always delighted in spoiling the children. Sometimes she played the hard ass just so they could think they were pulling something over on her. She loved the bond that "don't tell Mom" had created between her husband and their daughters. She was their mother. She had all the ins and outs of the female psyche, the mother/daughter chats about puberty and boys, the bonding of clothes shopping and ear piercings. So if spoiling them a little was Jed's way of bonding with them then it was no skin off her nose to look the other way when he did it and to let them all believe that they were pulling the wool over her eyes. 

"Ma'am, are you okay?" 

Abbey realized that she'd been lost in thought. "Yeah, I'm fine, just exhausted. I'm going to take a bath and hit the sack. Good night, Izzy." 

"Good night, ma'am." 

**** 

Abbey lay back soaking in the tub with her eyes closed very close to falling asleep. She heard the bathroom door click shut but didn't open her eyes. She knew who it was. 

Jed stood at the edge of the tub watching Abbey's rosy nipples rise through the bubbles with every breath. "Abbey?" he said softly. 

"Hmmm…" 

"You're not falling asleep, are you?" 

"No." She still didn't open her eyes. 

"Liar," Jed chuckled, as he began to unbutton his shirt. He went so quietly about his business that Abbey was startled when she felt him step into the tub. 

"What are you doing?" she asked. 

"What do you think I'm doing?" Jed crouched in the tub in front of her and began running his fingers up her silky wet inner thighs. 

"I think you're trying to get lucky." 

"Bingo. I always said you were a smart lady." 

"Jed, I'm tired," Abbey yawned. "And we already had sex tonight." 

"That," Jed scoffed. "That was merely quick, take the edge off tension sex. I told you we were gonna do naked later." 

"I don't know if I'm up for naked. It's been a long… day." The last word was nearly choked out as Jed's finger found its ultimate destination sliding across her clitoris. 

"Still think you're not up for naked?" 

"I'm not sure. Try that again. I might be waking up." 

Jed laughed and pressed his thumb firmly against the sensitive little nub wiggling it back and forth until Abbey's hips thrust up at him and an involuntary moan passed between her lips. 

"Still tired?" 

"I think I'm waking up," she admitted. 

"Yeah, that's what I thought." 

**** 

Later, they lay spooned together in bed, Abbey's back tucked up against Jed's chest. Jed propped his head up on his hand and began stroking Abbey's hair back off her face, toying with the bright coppery strands. Her eyes were closed, her face soft and relaxed completely at peace. It wasn't often that he had the time anymore to simply lay and watch her fall asleep, to take pleasure in every little detail of her features. The way that her dark lashes lay against her fair complexion. The way that, devoid of make up, the tawny freckles of a red head lay sprinkled across her nose and face like fairy dust. The way the tiny lines of age lay at the corner of each eye and the way the soft rosy flush caused by their lovemaking still highlighted her cheekbones. How nice it was after weeks of an empty bed just to have her in his arms again, to hear her breathing beside him, to feel her cold feet against his warm legs and to have the flowery feminine scents of shampoo, bubble bath, body lotion and talcum powder filling his senses. 

"Mmm…Jed?" Abbey murmured sleepily, as she rolled over to cuddle up against him laying her arm over his hips and her cheek on his belly. It was softer now than it had been when they had first married and his body had been young, lean and tight, but she liked it this way as well. He made a nicer pillow now. Snuggable, she thought as she burrowed in closer. That's what he was now, snuggable. 

"What, baby?" 

"Don't stop. That feels nice." 

Jed realized that he had stopped stroking her hair and began to do so again smiling at the way she snuggled into him, like a kitten enjoying being stroked. He loved the way the silky strands of her hair fanned out over his belly and chest and he continued to stroke her until she fell asleep. 

**** 

"Mumma…mumma…." 

"Hmmm…" Abbey mumbled. She was laying on her stomach at the edge of the bed one arm dangling over the side her hair covering her face. Jed's arm lay heavy over her back and she could feel his warm breath against her shoulder. 

"Mumma…MumMEE…" This time the voice was starting to sound a little indignant. 

"Hmmm…" Abbey cracked an eye to see that it was still gray in the room and when she did so she saw Aislinn in her Cinderella nightgown with her curls all askew standing by her head. "Whassamatter, Ash?" 

"Up." 

"It's too early to get up. Come in bed with me and Daddy." She reached a sleepy hand down to pull the toddler up onto the bed and felt Aislinn scamper up to the pillow. She heard Jed groan and roll over to make more room. 

Aislinn, however, was not ready to go back to sleep. Abbey felt something running over her head and realized that her daughter was brushing her hair. 

"Prity," Aislinn said. "…Prity." Abbey jumped as her daughter's brush caught a snarl in her hair. 

"Aislinn, stop." She took the brush away. "You can brush Mommy's hair later. Go to sleep." 

"No sleep." Aislinn pouted. 

"No sleep." This time it was Nicky's adamant voice and it was right in front of Jed's face on the other side of the bed. 

"What are you doing up, sport?" Jed's voice was as husky with sleep as Abbey's had been. "You two aren't supposed to be crawling out of your cribs." 

"Toons." 

"It's too early for cartoons," Abbey muttered. 

" _'PungeBob_ ," Nicholas demanded. 

"Abbey." Jed sleepily pushed his toe against his wife's leg and on the tail of a yawn he asked, "Is _SpongeBob_ on at the break of dawn?" 

"Doubt it. I brought their _SpongeBob_ DVDs with me." 

" _'PungeBob_!" Aislinn began bouncing on the bed. 

Abbey moaned and pulled the covers up over her head. 

"I don't think we're going to get them back to sleep," Jed told her. 

"What time is it?" 

"Just after 6." 

"I can't open my eyes." 

"I'll get up." 

"Have Izzy–" 

"Nah, I haven't seen the little buggers in a while. I'll go watch cartoons with them. You go back to sleep." He patted her hip and began to slide out of bed. He didn't have to say it twice. By the time Jed and the kids had made it to the living room, Abbey had curled back up into a deep sleep. 

A couple of hours later, feeling a little more human, Abbey awoke for the second time that morning. She slid her robe on over the tank top Jed had put on her prostrate form after making love to her and shuffled down the hall to the living area. 

She found Jed leaning back on the couch; his bare feet propped up on the coffee table, his robe gaping open at his chest. His hair was falling messily over his forehead as it usually did in the morning. Both children were snuggled up close to his torso. Her heart did its usual flip flop at the sight of the three of them all cuddled up together, especially when she noticed that while the children were wide awake gazing at the television, Jed's head was thrown back and he was half asleep. It was Aislinn who finally noticed her standing smiling in the doorway. 

"Mumma, baby." Aislinn pointed at the TV. 

Abbey stepped into the room to see what Aislinn was pointing at and she had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing at what they were making Jed watch. The _Teletubbies_ were something even she couldn't stand. 

"Yes, that is a baby. Just like you." 

Aislinn shook her head negatively and took a swig from her sippie cup. "No baby." 

"You're not a baby?" 

"No." 

"Are you a big girl?" 

Aislinn nodded with a grin. 

"Well, you're still Mommy's baby." She kissed the top of her curls. "And so are you," she leaned over to give Nicholas a kiss. 

Jed grabbed her wrist as she started to stand and pulled her down to give him a kiss. "You owe me big time for this," he whispered into her ear. 

"I thought you were going to watch _SpongeBob_ ," Abbey laughed. 

" _SpongeBob_ I can take, although I still think he looks like a piece of cheese wearing underwear." 

"No, Dadda, PUNGE," Nicholas informed him emphatically. 

"Yes, Nicholas, you've made it very clear to me all morning that he is a sponge, not a piece of cheese. Anyway, you only brought two DVDs so little Miss here starting flipping through channels and look what she found. Weren't we lucky?" 

Jed's sarcasm was lost on his daughter who began to nod her head. "Lucky." She agreed still engrossed in her show. 

"Well, did you all eat breakfast?" she asked. 

"There was a woman named Rosa here earlier and she brought some fresh muffins. She was ready to cook us a big breakfast but I told her the muffins were fine. The kids and I have already eaten." 

"I'm going to get a muffin then." Abbey went to the kitchen and began pilfering under the white linen napkin that covered a basket of assorted fresh muffins. She chose a banana nut and moved to pour herself a cup of coffee nearly dropping it when she turned to see Jed standing in the doorway grinning at her. 

"What's that cocky grin for?" she asked, sipping her coffee. 

"I wore you out." 

"What?" 

"Last night. I wore you out so badly you couldn't wake up this morning." 

"Leave it to you to chalk up my exhaustion to your sexual prowess when it really had more to do with jet lag." She took a bite of her muffin. 

"Jet lag my ass." He moved closer sliding a hand over her hip. "Remember what happened to you when you lied to me last night." 

"You really think that's a deterrent for lying?" She giggled as his hand slid inside her robe hitting a ticklish spot on the side of her breast on his way to cupping her in his palm. 

"Jed–" she warned. 

"Abbey–" he mimicked her as he began to knead the soft mound. 

"Jed, I'm serious…The kids are right in the next room." 

"They're watching alien babies." 

" _Teletubbies_." Abbey gave a soft laugh as he dipped his lips to nuzzle at her neck while he continued to gently mold her breast in his hand. 

The sound of a door shutting caused them to break apart like two guilty teenagers. 

"Oh, uh, excuse me." Suzanne Hoynes' face flushed red with embarrassment at having caught the President and First Lady in an intimate moment. Abbey immediately began belting her robe more tightly around her tiny waist very aware that she wore nothing but a skimpy tank top under it. 

"What can we do for you, Suzanne?" Jed asked nonchalantly, as if he were caught every day with his hand inside his wife's bathrobe. 

"I apologize. I knocked and when nobody answered I just came in." 

"No harm done." Abbey smiled to put the other woman at ease. 

"I just wanted to make sure that you have everything that you need." 

"We're fine, thank you." 

"Okay then, well, if you're looking for something to do feel free to come up and use the pool at the big house. I thought we'd have lunch there today and then I guess the President and John are going into Dallas for some afternoon meetings." 

Jed saw the panic flash in Abbey's eyes. Dallas. He knew how she hated that word. He knew that every time he had to go there she pictured the top of JFK's head getting blown off and relived Rosslyn over and over and over. It didn't matter that there had been other sites of assassinations and assassination attempts, Dallas was the one that was deeply embedded in the psyche of every person who had been alive during that tragic time. She'd been in school at the Sacred Heart when they got the news from Sister Mary Alice that the President was dead. He knew that she had cried. He, too, had been at school, but he hadn't cried, at least there. His father despised JFK, even more so probably because his wife and sons admired him so much, so Jed didn't see much point in sharing his grief with him. Instead, he and Jon had walked home in shock and disbelief, the tears only coming when he saw his mother kneeling on the floor saying decades of the rosary and he realized that the usually unemotional woman was actually crying. 

"We'll be up in a little bit," Abbey assured her, her voice bringing Jed back to the present. "I'm sure the kids will love to go for a swim." 

**** 

A little later, Abbey and Jed walked hand and hand up the small scrub grass covered hill that led to the big house. Aislinn and Nicholas, already in their bathing suits, were scampering excitedly around their legs, eager to get in the pool. 

"When we get there, I'm going to tell Suzanne that I need to use the ladies room," Abbey told him. "Then you ask her to help you put the floaties on the kids' arms so I have time to search around the garden for my underwear." 

"And my bow tie," he reminded her. 

"I'm hardly as concerned with a bow tie as I am my thong." 

"I wouldn't be concerned at all. Nobody is going to know that was YOUR thong. There were over a hundred people here last night." 

"All of whom watched you and I come back from the garden together. Oh, they'll know. Please, just do as I ask." 

"Why do I have a feeling that I'm taking part in some bad Lucy skit?" 

"That's the second time somebody has compared me to Lucy." 

"Who was the first?" 

"Never mind." 

"Come on, tell me." 

"No." 

"Pretty please." He ran a teasing finger up her arm. "If you don't tell me, I'll have to tickle it out of you." 

Abbey felt his finger starting to delve into her armpit and knew he was as good as his word. "Well, if you must know it was CJ." 

"What harebrained idea did you try to pass by her?" 

"It wasn't HAREBRAINED and I'm not sure I like your inference that my ideas are foolish." 

"Come on, Abbey, what idea was it?" 

"The night that we snuck out of the White House to find out who gave that picture to Danny Concannon. May I remind you that without my HAREBRAINED idea we never would have found out that Janet Ritchie was behind it, and we never would have stopped her from going forward to the press." 

"Okay, okay. I guess that one worked out for the best, HOWEVER, you know how I feel about you sneaking out of the White House without your agents." 

"Yes, yes, yes." she sighed. "And I promised I wouldn't do it again. Now are you with me on this, or what?" 

Jed watched Suzanne open the pool gate to greet the children with a big smile. "I guess I'm with you." His statement was grudging but Abbey took what she could get. 

**** 

Wearing her bathing suit and a Hawaiian print wrap tied around her waist, Abbey got down on her hands and knees and began searching around the shrubs that surrounded the bench where she had laid her dress the previously evening. 

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath. "How far could Jed have flung them." 

She crawled around the edge of a shrub then stopped abruptly when she saw a pair of cowboy boots in front of her face. Slowly, her heart racing, she gazed up over the edge of her dark sunglasses to follow the length of long denim clad leg to see the sardonic half smile of the man who was twirling her panties on his finger. 

"Looking for these?" 


	17. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Abbey sat back on her heels and glared up the man, her chest heaving with anger. "As a matter of fact I am. What are YOU doing with them?" 

John stared at the woman who kneeled before him, a quick stab of desire coursing through his groin. Having Abbey in that submissive position reminded him of the rumor his agent had passed on to him about the night that she gave the President a blow job right on the deck of their boat. He could only imagine how tantalizing that vision had been. 

"John," Abbey repeated impatiently. "I asked you a question." 

"Oh, you did, didn't you? Well, I just happened to be taking an innocent little walk through my garden when I came across this naughty little pair of panties lying on top of the flowerbed. Very risqué, Mrs. Bartlet. Then I remembered how much time that you and the President spent in here last night and I just put two and two together." 

Abbey continued to glare at him unswayed by his words. She simply doubted that John had been innocently walking in his garden when he found her panties. She had never despised John the way that her husband and Leo had early on. She might not have agreed with his politics but he had always treated her with respect and courtesy until now. Now there was something extremely snakish about his behavior, a side to him she had only heard about in rumors. 

"Well, I'd like to have them back please. They happen to be one of my husband's favorite pairs." She got to her feet and reached for her underwear. 

"I'll just bet they are." The sardonic smile was back as he held them just out of her reach. 

"John, I don't know why you're behaving like this, but it's an extremely unattractive side to you." She reached up on her tiptoes and ripped the tiny scrap of material out of his hand. 

Realizing he'd pushed things further than he had intended and knowing that to alienate Jed Bartlet, the one man who still wanted him on the ticket, was extremely detrimental to his career, he forced an amiable laugh. 

"Come on, Abbey. I was just joking around with you." 

"Well, I didn't find it humorous in the least. You certainly aren't behaving like a southern gentleman." 

"Well, any woman who does what you did right here in this garden last night is certainly no lady." 

On its own volition, Abbey's hand came up and she slapped John hard across the face. She stared at him in shock for a moment feeling ridiculously like Scarlett O'Hara. She was not a "hitter" by nature, but she sure as hell was not going to apologize. 

"I guess I deserved that," he said, his hand rubbing at the red mark on his cheek. "What I said was uncalled for." 

"Yes, it was. But since I AM a lady, I'll let you escape with your cojones intact. THIS TIME." With a toss of her brilliant hair, she turned and left the garden, heading toward the pool still in a huff. She hadn't gotten ten feet when she literally bumped into Bruno. Could things possibly get any better, she wondered? 

"Abbey." He grasped her elbow to steady her. "Are you all right?" 

"Yes, Bruno. I'm fine." 

Bruno's eyes fell to the lacy thong she carried in her hand. "Is there a reason that you're carrying your underwear around?" he asked. 

"I lost them in the garden last night," she said, balling them up in her fist. "Care to make a comment about that?" 

Bruno's lips twitched with restrained humor as he remembered the President and First Lady returning to the party after having been missing for quite a while. "Just one. There weren't any members of the press lurking in there while you were losing them, were there?" 

A sharp retort was on the tip of Abbey's tongue when she realized that Bruno was teasing her. 

"Just one or two paparazzi hiding amongst the azaleas," she quipped. "But don't worry. You magical spin doctors can come up with some reason to explain why the President was undressing his wife in his Vice President's garden. Snake bite, maybe?" She lifted her brow in a questioning move then started back off down the path. 

"Abbey," Bruno called out as she reached for the gate. 

"Yes?" She turned. 

"I'm sure _People_ magazine would love to have known about those." He gestured to her fist. "They could have added it to their list of your sexy attributes." 

"I think their list was quite long enough. Besides, it would be nice if I could have SOME secrets." 

Her message was not lost on Bruno and he dragged his fingers across his lips assuring her that his lips were zipped. She smiled in acknowledgement of the gesture and turned back toward the pool. 

Abbey heard the splashing and the shrieks of laughter coming from her husband and children before she even opened the gate to the pool. And, when she did open the gate her bad temper was miraculously lifted from her shoulders. She smiled as she watched Jed tossing Nicholas up in the air then pretending to be a shark nibbling on Aislinn's toes. She caught his eye as she made her way over to the pair of shorts he had left laying over a lounge chair and winked at him as she slid her panties into the pocket. 

Her mission over, she turned and saw CJ seated under the umbrella at a table. 

"Where is Suzanne?" 

"She's inside getting us some frozen margaritas." 

"Mmm… that sounds good." Abbey sat down beside her and dipped a tortilla chip into salsa, then stared at her friend for a long moment. 

"What's wrong?" CJ finally asked. "You look like you expect me to say something." 

"I don't know. Why don't YOU tell me what's wrong?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"You've been very quiet and nervous and sort of jumpy this whole trip. What's bugging you?" 

CJ panicked. Had something given her away? Did Abbey have any idea of why she was so uncomfortable here? 

"Is it your dad? How is he doing?" 

Nope, relief. Abbey didn't know. Only Toby knew. "He's the same. Some good days. Some bad. I guess I'm just tired. Do you ever just get tired of everyone watching you and judging you?" 

An incredulous expression crossed Abbey's face. "Good, LORD, girl, LOOK who you're talking to here. Of course I get sick of it. But, at least you get to go home to an empty apartment. I go home to a huge domestic staff that takes care of my every need and whim. That sounds nice on paper but it's also a horrible invasion of privacy. They know pretty much everything that there is to know about me. They cook my food so they know when I eat, how much I eat and what I like to eat. They strip my bed so they know when I've had sex and when I haven't. They do my laundry so they know what kind of lingerie that I wear, what my bra size is and even what time of the month I get my period. They clean my bathroom, so they know my brand preferences of deodorant, toothpaste, and tampons. Hell, they even know what kind of birth control Jed and I are using at any given moment. And that, well, that's just the staff. I also have Secret Service agents who follow me around all day. They know what time I wake up and what time I go to bed. They know when I go to the bathroom and how many times I go to the bathroom, and let me tell you, I must have driven them nuts when I was pregnant with the twins. They know how much time that I spend with my children and what we do in that time. They know when I'm having a romantic, intimate dinner with my husband, and they know when he's in the doghouse. And, let's just say my sex life hasn't been private since I've moved into the White House. Sick of it? CJ, I'm the poster girl for sick of it." 

CJ grinned at her ruefully. "I guess I don't have quite as much to bitch about, do I?" 

"What are you bitching about?" Jed asked. He had gotten out of the pool, leaving Nicholas and Aislinn playing with one of their agents and was now toweling off near the table. 

"Is someone bitching?" Leo asked. 

Abbey smiled as Leo sat at the table in his suit coat. Leave it to Leo to even look formal sitting by the pool. 

"We are," Abbey admitted. "We're bitching about how much harder it is to be a woman on the campaign trail than it is to be a man. Something I think Suzanne would concur with." 

"Absolutely," Suzanne agreed setting the pitcher of frozen margaritas on the table. "Men don't know how lucky they have it." 

"I beg to disagree," Jed said, as he toweled off his thick hair and sat next to his wife. "I can't see where Abbey has it any more difficult than I do on the campaign trail." 

"Jed," Abbey looked at him with astonished eyes. "You've GOT to be kidding. When was the last time that you had to have weights sewn into the bottom of your skirts so they don't fly up in the wind when you get of a car? When was the last time that you had to carry five pairs of pantyhose around in your purse because, God forbid, the press catch you with a run in your stockings? When was the last time that you had to have extra padding put into your bras so on cold days your nipples don't show up through your silk blouse like little turkey timers?" 

CJ was laughing now and added her own two cents. "When was the last time that you had to worry about visible panty lines?" 

"Or what kind of shape your fingernails are in?" Suzanne added, joining in the fun. 

"Or making sure that your fingernail polish matches your toenail polish?" The ball was back in Abbey's court and she served the final and decisive volley. "When was the last time that you had to worry about not wearing a light colored skirt at a certain time of the month? In fact, when was the last time that you had to worry about starting your period at an inopportune place or time at all, Jed?" Abbey flashed a victorious grin and gave CJ a high five. "Bet you can't beat that one." 

Jed and Leo stared dumbfounded at the three righteous women. Jed knew about the bras and the pantyhose. God knew he'd watched her change her hose enough times in the back of a limo. He'd even known about her fears of "leakage", but hearing the cumulative weight of her list had done him in. All he ever really had to worry about was not going out in public with food on his tie or Abbey's lipstick on his lips and face. 

"No, you're right. Nothing I could ever do would surpass the mystique of the female reproductive cycle. You've got me there and you know it, dollface." 

"Yeah, I guess I do." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. 

"Smooching again?" John's words were teasing but CJ noticed Abbey stiffen noticeably, her eyes cold as she looked at the man. She also noticed the slight red mark on his cheek and wondered just what kind of stunt John had pulled now. 

"John, hush," Suzanne admonished him. "You'll have to forgive him. He's not used to public displays of affection." 

"I thought it was we northerners who were repressed on that front," Jed said. "I thought you southerners were supposed to be more open." 

"Not when you were raised by Bessie Mae Hoynes." Suzanne said. It was the tone of her words that lead Abbey to believe that Suzanne hadn't gotten along with her mother-in-law any better than she did with Emily Bartlet. 

"Your mother?" Jed looked at John. 

"The one and only." 

"Bessie Mae was strict Bible belt Baptist," Suzanne continued. "She didn't cotton to smoking, swearing, drinking, smooching, or even dancing. She must have been rolling in her grave with all the drinking and dancing going on here last night." 

"Among other things," John drolly stated lifting his glass of ice water in tribute to Abbey. It was those three words and the little lift of his glass that made Abbey's decision for her. She hadn't been sure if she would tell Jed about John's behavior in the garden, but now she knew that she would. It might take him down a peg or two to have him deal with yet another Bartlet. Besides, the last time that she'd kept something similar from her husband it had blown up in her face and tested his trust in her. 

John's innuendo had gone right over Jed's head, and Abbey chose to ignore him. She got to her feet and turned to her husband. 

"Want to go for a dip with me?" she asked. 

"Absolutely." 

John's eyes surreptitiously followed Abbey as she untied the knot at her hip doing away with her sarong and revealing a curvaceously lush body in a trendy little tankini. The navy blue bikini bottoms were high cut displaying her long shapely legs to their best advantage and the tight fitting Lycra Hawaiian print top hugged her generous breasts and didn't quite reach the top of her bikini bottoms. 

Suzanne and Leo were discussing the upcoming trip to Dallas so they were unaware of John's scrutiny of Abbey, but CJ was watching him like a hawk and she didn't miss anything. She knew the minute John's eyes had fallen to the swath of skin exposed at Abbey's midriff and he saw the sun flashing off the tantalizing gold heart she was wearing in her belly button. She saw his eyes grow hooded and she knew exactly what that look meant. She just hoped that John would have enough sense not to act on his physical urges this time. 

**** 

"Why were you so rude to the President and First Lady today?" Suzanne asked, once everyone had departed so the men could dress to fly out to Dallas. They were in their bedroom. 

"I wasn't rude." He continued to work on his tie. 

"Yes you were. Why did you have to make that remark about them smooching? So what if they want to kiss? Some couples do like to show affection, you know." 

"AFFECTION, Suzanne, for Christ's sake they were FUCKING in our garden last night." 

"What?" Suzanne looked stunned. Classy wives like Abbey did NOT make love with their husbands out of doors. "You don't know that, John. Just because they were in the garden doesn't mean that they were having sex." 

"Yeah, it does. I found Abbey's thong laying in a bed of purple flowers." 

"Abbey wore a THONG?" Suzanne was even more intrigued. Abbey Bartlet had always fascinated her. In a way, although they were very close in age, she looked up to her. There was something slightly unconventional about Abbey, something daring. Only recently had she found out just how daring. She'd seen the tabloids with the photos that Abbey had done for Jed; she'd seen the Celtic knot tattoo on the back of her hip and her pierced navel. And although they had slowly gotten to know each other over the past four years, Suzanne realized that there was a lot that she didn't know about Abbey. 

"Well, she said that it was hers," John drawled. 

"Wait a minute," Suzanne's eyes narrowed. "What were YOU doing in the garden? You hate the garden; you think it's a waste of my time. You went in there because you knew what they'd been doing in there. What were you doing? Looking for evidence? A used condom or something?" 

John flushed. She'd nearly hit the nail on the head. He had gone into the garden wondering if he'd find evidence of what had gone on there the night before, but more than that he'd wanted to picture it in his mind – Abbey as she had looked last night, wanton and disheveled and the way that he had found her this morning looking up at him from her knees. 

"Don't be silly, Suzanne. Of course I wasn't looking for evidence." 

"Besides what does it matter if they did decide to make love under the moon in our garden? I think it's very romantic. And they weren't exactly the first to have intercourse there. At least they were husband and wife and not senator and campaign aide." There was bitterness in Suzanne's words and a shaft of pain in her heart as she remembered the night that she had found her husband and Tangy Trenton having sex on one of her garden benches. It was in that moment that all the rumors had become reality for her and she had come close to ending her marriage then and there. But, Johnny had only been fourteen and Maggie twelve. She'd stuck it out for her children, and because, in spite of it all, she really did love John Hoynes. 

"Suzanne," John turned on that boyish pout that he knew she found irresistible. "You promised you wouldn't bring that up again. I've turned over a new leaf. I promised you there would be no more women and I meant it. You have to trust me." 

Suzanne's heart melted as it always did when her husband turned on the charm. "I know you did." She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm sorry, John. That wasn't fair. I do trust you. I know you'll never jeopardize our marriage again." 

John kissed the top of his wife's head. He wasn't such a complete shit that he didn't feel regret about lying to her. But as he held her in his arms he thought about HER – the other woman, his mistress. He needed her right now. He needed the way that she stoked his ego. Losing the nomination to Jed Bartlet and having to play second banana had nearly done him in. He'd been depressed, feeling like a failure. Seeing himself through Suzanne's eyes exacerbated that. Her eyes saw his weaknesses, his faults. Her eyes saw that he was a bad husband, a bad father, and now a bad politician. Helen's eyes were different. She looked up to him, she built him up, and she made him feel powerful. Feeling powerful and important was something that he needed right now even if it meant hurting the woman who believed in him, who trusted him and who was being betrayed by him day in and day out every time he went to the apartment he shared with another woman and spent the night in her bed, in her arms, in her body. 

**** 

"So, where did you find this pretty little thing anyway?" Jed asked, as he slipped his wife's panties out of his pocket and twirled them on his finger much in the same way John had earlier. 

"What is it with all you men and naughty undies?" Abbey asked irritated. "It's just fabric, for heaven's sake. Why does it obsess you so much?" 

"It's not just fabric when it's concealing…or as far as this little lacy piece goes, barely concealing, certain strategic areas on a woman's body that we men are obsessed by." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. 

Abbey shook her head and reached to take the panties at the same moment Jed realized what she had said and held them back. 

"What exactly did you mean by ALL you men?" he asked suspiciously. "Just what other men have seen your naughty undies?" 

"Well, what do you think that I do when you're off campaigning?" she asked sarcastically. "I mean there really isn't anything else for me to do other than entertain a slew a young studs who all love my array of naughty underwear." 

"Very funny, Abigail." 

"Well, don't be such a jackass. You know that you're the only one who sees my underwear. I was speaking about men in general." 

"No, you weren't. You were pissed." 

She could see he wasn't going to let it drop. "Okay, you're right. I was going to wait until after you'd gone to Dallas to tell you this, but I can see I better do it now. I didn't find my thong. John did." 

"Hoynes?" 

"Yes, John Hoynes," Abbey sighed. 

"What was he doing with our thong?" 

"Oh, now it's OUR thong." 

"It is when John Hoynes is toying with it. So what was he doing with it?" 

"He teased me with it saying he found it while he was walking through the garden." 

"What do you mean he teased you with it?" 

"You know, he made a few suggestive comments about how risqué they are and he held them out of my reach." 

"He made you ASK for them?" 

"No, he made me GRAB them." 

"That son of bitch," Jed fumed. 

"Jed, calm down. I took care of it. I slapped him." 

"You SLAPPED him?" Jed's eyes widened. Abbey did not strike out in anger. Oh, once in a while when she was in a hot tempered fury she might throw something, but knowing what kind of man his father had been, she had never struck him, even in the worst of their fights. "What the hell did he say to you that made you pissed enough to slap him?" 

"It wasn't that big of a deal. I probably overreacted…" 

"Abigail." Jed's tone was firm, his eyes serious as he lifted her chin to look into her eyes. "Did he touch you?" 

Unexpected tears blurred Abbey's eyes at the tone of steel underlying the tenderness of his words. How profoundly comforting it was to know that Jed had her back. That no matter how many battles she fought, she would never truly have to fight them alone. 

"Abbey?" Worry had crept into Jed's voice at the sight of her tears and with her continued silence. "I swear to God, if he laid ONE finger on you…" 

"No." Abbey grabbed his arm before he could storm away. "He didn't touch me." She took a deep breath knowing that Jed would not be pleased with their conversation. "I told him that he wasn't behaving like a southern gentleman and he told me that any woman who did what I did with you in the garden last night was no lady." 

Jed nodded, the only sign of his anger the tic throbbing in his jaw. "I'll be back." He turned, striding for the door. 

"Jed, where are you going?" 

"Where do you think that I'm going? Nobody calls my wife a slut and gets away with it." 


	18. Everyday Is a Winding Road

From his window in the living room, John Hoynes watched the determined stride of Jed Bartlet as he came up over the knoll trailed by Secret Service agents. He knew right away what the visit was all about and made his way out to the door hoping to get there before Suzanne got an earful. 

"Mr. President," John flashed him an amiable, relaxed smile. "We aren't going to be leaving for another half hour." 

Before John could react, the President had a fistful of his collar and was shoving him back against the closed door. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" Jed seethed. 

"I don't know what you're talking about?" 

"Of course you know what I'm talking about. Don't play stupid with me." Jed shoved him harder against the wall. "The only reason I'm not decking you right now is because Suzanne is home. There's no reason that she needs to be hurt by this…by your sleazy behavior." 

Just as he spoke of Suzanne, Jed heard her voice calling down to John and reluctantly let the other man go. He truly liked Suzanne Hoynes and didn't want her dragged into the middle of all this. 

"Oh, hello, Mr. President." Suzanne warily took in the stiff stances of her husband and the President, and the coldness in the President's eyes. She had obviously interrupted something. "What's going on?" 

"Nothing," Jed faced her with a warm smile. "I just need to speak to John. Would you give us a few minutes?" 

Suzanne looked between the two men. Testosterone was definitely in the air; she just wished she knew why. But, she smiled graciously and accepted that she was not to be part of the skirmish. "Of course, is there anything I can get you?" 

"No, thank you." 

With a questioning glance at her husband, Suzanne left and Jed turned back to John. 

"What made you think that you would get away with speaking to my wife like she was some common little slut." 

"Sir, I…I didn't. I was teasing her. We were bantering." 

Jed snorted with disbelief. "I think my wife is intelligent enough to know the difference between lewd innuendos and bantering. She's never struck anyone for bantering with her." 

"She misunderstood me. I didn't mean to be rude." 

"No. She didn't misunderstand you, you smarmy bastard." Jed was back up in John's face, the urge to hit him overpowering. "We both know you were playing some kind of sexual power game and if you so much as THINK of ever trying to pull that shit with her again, you're through." 

"Are you threatening to drop me from the ticket?" 

"No, I'm promising you that if you ever talk to my wife the way that you did this morning, if you so much as look at her funny, you'll not only be off the ticket, you'll never get elected to public office ever again." Jed's finger pointed hard into John's chest. "Your name will be MUD in this country and if you think I won't back up my threat, you just ask Elliot Roush what happens when you fuck with my wife." With another hard shove Jed turned to leave, but as he got to the porch stairs, he turned back to face his ashen faced Vice President. "You just stay clear of Abbey." 

John nodded. He'd known the President would be pissed, but he'd never seen Jed so coldly furious before. Then, as he watched the President head back to the cabin, he saw CJ round the corner of the house and nearly groaned aloud. This couldn't be good. In retrospect, the pleasure he had gotten from getting Abbey's Irish up had not been worth what was now happening to him. 

"You didn't listen to me, did you?" CJ angrily asked. "I warned you not to make a pass at Abbey. Dammit, why couldn't you for ONCE keep your hands to yourself?" 

"I didn't make a pass at her." 

"Come on, John, I saw the President leave here. He was furious. I TOLD you what happens when people mess with Abbey. You should have listened." CJ had to bite her tongue to keep from revealing the fact that Jed had almost ended a thirty year plus friendship over the drunken pass that Leo had made on Abbey ten years earlier. 

"I didn't touch Abbey. I'm not that stupid. I know how to read women. Abbey is not on the market." 

"Gee, you think?" CJ asked derisively. "But, if you didn't physically make a pass at her you had to have done something to make the President so mad." 

"I made some suggestive comments. I said some things that I shouldn't have said and the First Lady took offence." 

"John, you are not a stupid man, at least until it comes to women. I don't think I need to tell you that this is NOT what we need as we move into the home stretch of this campaign. You CANNOT afford to make an enemy of Jed Bartlet. WE cannot afford for you to be an enemy of Jed Bartlet." 

"CJ, I made a mistake. I've apologized. Let it go." 

"You think that's all it takes, don't you? One day those apologies aren't going to go so far, John. One day you're actually going to have to pay the piper." 

**** 

After joining Suzanne for a relaxing Tex-Mex supper, Abbey returned to the cabin with the children. It was still fairly early so she tried to settle in at the kitchen table to do a puzzle with them, but it didn't take long for her nerves to set in. For a brief time, while she was visiting with Suzanne, she had been able to forget about the fact that her husband was in Dallas. Forget about the fact that there were always death threats from crazy copycats when any President was in that city, but now all she could do was dwell on that fact. She couldn't seem to sit still; her fingernails tapped on the kitchen table and she wasn't able to focus on the task in front of her. 

"Mumma?" Nicholas hit her on the arm to get her attention. 

"What is it, baby?" 

"Me…me." He reached up trying to grab the large puzzle piece that Abbey held in her hand. Both kids were looking at her expectantly. They were very in tune with her moods and they both sensed her tension. She felt bad they could tell that her heart was not in playing with them. 

"I'll tell you what," she said, handing Nicky the puzzle piece. "Mommy is really too antsy to work on a puzzle right now. How would you two like to go for a walk along the creek?" 

Big grins broke out across each child's face. "Wok…wok," they agreed. 

"Well, I guess it's unanimous. Let's go." She helped them down from their chairs and they all headed for the door. 

"Ma'am," Anita and Mike, the chiefs of Abbey's and the children's Secret Service detail greeted her as they stepped on to the porch. "Hot night, isn't it?" 

Abbey nodded. "Do you have any problem with us going for a walk along the creek?" she asked. 

"Should be fine," Anita assured her. "The perimeters are secure." 

"Just keep your eye out for rattlesnakes," Mike added. 

Abbey's face blanched at the thought. 

"'Nake." Nicky began to dance enthusiastically, obviously thrilled with the idea of seeing a snake. 

"Thanks, Mike," Abbey sighed. 

"Don't worry, ma'am," Mike grinned. "If you see a snake, just give us a shout and we'll take care of it." He touched his hand to the gun he wore in his holster. 

"Well, that's reassuring at least." Abbey knelt down in front of her children so that she was eye level with them. "If either of you see a snake, do NOT touch it. Do you understand me? No touch." 

"No tuch," both kids shook their heads negatively along with Abbey. 

"Good, so who do you tell if you see a snake?" 

"Mommy!" Aislinn shouted out, quite sure her answer was correct. 

Abbey grimaced. "Not this time, kiddo. Not Mommy. You yell for Mike, okay?" 

Both kids turned to the agent who had been following them since their birth. Mike grinned at them and nodded his head affirmatively. "Yup, you yell for me and I'll take care of it." 

"Okay troops, let's go." 

**** 

Abbey walked a few paces behind her children. The stark, desolate, almost lonely beauty of the desert strangely fit her mood. Out here there were no chirping birds, no rustling leaves, no humming crickets and cicadas – just complete and utter silence. Even the nearly stagnant creek didn't gurgle like the brooks at home did. It was slightly unnerving to say the least. She was relieved when the twins began to babble to each other, breaking the silence and making her feel less alone. 

A soft maternal smile played across her face as she observed their frequent stops to pick up rocks and jam them into their pockets. Then, as she watched the two both squat to examine a particularly interesting insect with their pale blond heads bent together, one merging into the other, her heart swelled with a deeply tender love for them. 

She had read the incredible research on identical twins being so connected that they could feel each other's pain but watching the strength of that bond was something else entirely. Her children were different genders; they were only fraternal twins. Still, as she watched them silently communicate, their identically colored blond heads pressed together, she was reminded of the pictures that she had of them in her womb all curled up together as if they already knew one another, as if they were already taking comfort in each other's presence. 

Unconsciously, she moved toward them pressing a hand softly to her flat belly remembering how she had housed these two remarkable creatures, that she, too, was a part of them. 

Needing to physically connect with them, she approached. "What are we looking at?" she asked, squatting next to them. 

"Buggy," Aislinn told her. 

Abbey looked down to see the black shelled bug her son was prodding with a small stick. "That's a beetle," she said. 

Nicholas nodded and continued to attempt to flip the bug over to check out what its belly looked like. Aislinn seemed to be more than content to let her brother do all the work while she watched with wide eyes. 

Abbey took joy in the simple moment. She had always loved the innocence and wonder of young toddlerhood when everything was new and exciting. It made her see the world through the magical wonder of a child's eyes and as long as she could still do that nothing would ever become old or stale to her. People didn't say "children keep you young" for nothing. 

Abbey pushed the hair back off Nicky's face where, just like his father, his cowlick sent it forward. He grinned up at her, a heart melting adoring smile that brought the sting of tears to her eyes. She couldn't imagine now what her life would be like without these two sweet little hooligans in it. She and Jed might not have planned on conceiving another child – or children – and most people would say that they had been a mistake, but Abbey knew differently. At first, even she had referred to them as an accident, but now she knew what she had really known all along. They weren't an accident; they were a gift. 


	19. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Jed stood on the small knoll overlooking the creek bed searching for his family. It didn't take long for him to find them; they were nearly directly below him. Abbey was walking along, behind the children, clearly dressed for the hot evening in khaki low rise Capris and a thin strapped pink cotton camisole top. Her hair fell loose to her shoulders and a doll dangled from one of her hands. Ahead of her, Nicholas and Aislinn dropped to their knees to look at a small cactus that sprouted from the ground. Evidently, looking was not all that they did because Jed heard the sharp cry of distress from Nicholas and he watched the boy run back to his mother to show her his boo-boo. 

Jed smiled as he watched Abbey cuddle their son to her breasts while Aislinn pressed up against her to make sure her brother was okay. The setting sun danced over his family turning Abbey's coppery hair into a fiery mass and his children's into pure molten gold. They were so beautiful – his wife and his children – that it actually made his heart ache. The power of his love for them never ceased to amaze him. 

He undid his tie and began to unbutton his shirt and roll up his sleeves as he watched Abbey kiss Nicky's boo-boo then send him back off to play with Aislinn. 

That was the moment that he was spotted. 

"Daddy!" Nicky called up to him. He immediately began climbing the small incline with Aislinn not far behind. 

Abbey closed her eyes saying a quick prayer of thanks for her husband's safe return. By the time she got to the three, the children were chattering Jed's ear off about all of their great discoveries. 

"Daddy, we fine hon tod." Aislinn told him importantly. 

Jed looked to Abbey for clarification. "We found a horned toad," she told him. 

"Oh." He nodded, then bent down in front of his daughter. "Did you kiss him, Ash?" he asked. 

"No, yucky!" Aislinn giggled at her father's stupidity. 

"I'm serious, Ash. You're supposed to kiss a toad to see if it turns out to be a prince." 

"Noooo…." Aislinn drew out the word clearly not impressed with the idea of kissing a toad. 

"It's not really a toad, Jed." Abbey informed him. "It's a lizard." 

"Well, then, sunshine." He turned back to his daughter tugging on one of her curls. "You forget everything I just said. If you kiss a lizard, there's no telling WHAT you might get." 

"Daddy silly," Aislinn giggled. 

"Daddy's very silly," Abbey agreed with a smile. She loved watching Jed with children. He'd always had a way with them. It was probably because he was not afraid to make himself the butt of the joke. He'd always loved the groans of "Oh DAD" as the girls were growing up; he'd loved teasing them and getting teased back and he was never too adult to be "silly". 

Abbey stood aside letting her children take their fill of Jed's attention. It was only when they had toddled off to go find rocks for him that she stepped forward throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face into his chest with just a little more force than usual. Jed felt the slight tremor that ran through her slender body as she pressed into him. 

"Hey, baby, what is all this?" he asked into her hair. 

"You came back to me." The words were said with such relief that it took Jed's breath away for a moment. He stepped back out of her embrace with a puzzled look and lifted her chin to gaze into lovely hazel eyes shining with pain. 

"Of course I came back to you, Abs. I always come back to you and I always will." 

"If you can." There was a slight hitch to her voice and suddenly Jed knew exactly what all this was about – Dallas. 

"You were afraid something was going to happen to me in Dallas today." It was a statement, not a question. 

"I can't help it, Jed. I hate it when you go there. I know it's irrational," she shrugged. "But, I can't help how I feel." She took his hand to lead him to the bottom of the incline where she sat to watch the children play, drawing her knees up under her chin. 

Jed sat down next to her. He wanted desperately to reassure her but he wasn't exactly sure how to do that. He knew the specter of Rosslyn haunted her and he knew that the scars of that shooting ran deep, maybe even deeper than he could possibly know. Yet, he'd learned the hard way that promises of safety were not the way to go with her. Instead, he silently ran a finger up and down under the thin strap of her camisole top until he felt the tension leave her body and she finally sat back leaning against him. 

"Okay?" he asked, kissing the top of her head. 

"Yeah, I'm okay." She snuggled in closer enjoying the feel of his fingers running up and down her arm. "So, tell me, how did it go with John today?" 

"Uncomfortable, just as I expected. But I didn't deck him so that's a bit of progress for me." 

"Honestly, I really don't know what got into him. He's never played games like that with me before." 

"I don't know. All I do know is that he won't EVER be playing those games with you again." 

"Jed," she shoved at his shoulder lightly. "You do know that I can fight my own battles, don't you?" 

"Of course. I've seen you in action. But why should you have to? That's one of the best parts of marriage. You never have to fight your battles alone. I've got your back, and I love knowing that you've got mine." 

Abbey grinned running her hand up and down his spine. "And a fine back it is." 

"It just makes me wonder though." 

"Wonder what?" 

"If all those rumors that we heard about John and other women when he first started running for President were actually true." 

"I'm sorry to say this, but as a woman, I can tell you that the answer is probably yes. John definitely gives off a predatory vibe." 

"A predatory vibe?" 

"A woman can tell when a man is on the make and I've definitely seen John on the make. Besides, a man who is content in his marriage does not play sexual power games with another woman. I really got the feeling this morning that if I'd shown any interest at all, John would have physically made a move on me." 

Jed's face tightened at the thought. "Even knowing that it would probably cost him his job?" 

"I doubt he would be thinking about that until after it happened. John thinks with his dick, Jed, and that is so not a smart way to run your life." 

Jed nodded. "I guess Leo knew all about that when he came to me to ask me to run. He must have told Josh and Toby, too, because they were all over me questioning me about any bimbo eruptions that might occur if I were nominated." 

"Mmm…Me too." 

"They questioned YOU?" Jed hadn't heard that before. 

"Yup. They wanted to make sure there hadn't been any little fling at a medical convention that might leak its way to the press." 

"What did you tell them?" 

"To check out the Marriott in Boston because that was where I liked to keep my Fabio wannabe gigolos so they'd be ready to service the ache in my loins whenever the need might arise." 

Jed stared at her for a long moment and then he burst into laughter. His distinctive laugh was infectious because within seconds Abbey was laughing with him. 

"Well, what did YOU tell them?" she asked when their laughter had subsided. 

"Nothing quite so colorful as you. I believe I asked Toby if he was out of his fucking mind." 

"Well, not very eloquent but direct and to the point. He must have…" Abbey broke off and jumped to her feet. She had been watching Aislinn chase a firefly and seeing the small rock in her daughter's path before Aislinn did, she was picturing the fall before it actually happened. She had barely made it a step when Aislinn tripped over the rock and fell forward onto her face, the pebbles she had been collecting for her father scattering forth from her hands. 

Abbey reached Aislinn's side just as the little girl caught her breath and released a shrieking howl of pain. "Ash, Ash, it's okay, sweetie. Mommy's right here." 

Abbey lifted Aislinn from the dusty ground where she was laying face first. A sharp intake of breath was the only reaction she gave as she tried to stay calm when she saw all the blood mixed with dirt on her daughter's face. She tried to wipe at the mess with her fingers to determine just where Aislinn was hurt. However, when Aislinn saw the blood on her mother's fingers, then saw it dripping down her chin on to her shirt, she began to wail even harder with the fear that seeing her blood brought on. 

Jed had been a step or two slower than Abbey, so by the time he reached their side, Aislinn was uncontrollably sobbing, the blood from her chin dripping down Abbey's shoulder. Jed paled at the sight of his daughter's face and he swallowed convulsively to keep the fear and bile down. 

"Daddy!" Aislinn shrieked upon seeing him and began to squirm even more in Abbey's arms. "Daaaddy…!" 

"It's okay, Ash…" Jed tried to pat her back but Aislinn only screamed louder. 

Abbey was glancing frantically around for something to clean her daughter's face with when her eyes fell on her husband and the tie that dangled untied around his neck. "Jed, your tie. Give me your tie." 

Jed handed her the tie and they made their way to the creek where Abbey transferred their wailing, kicking daughter into Jed's arms so she could wipe at her face with the wet tie. When she had most of the blood cleaned Abbey was relieved to see just a couple of tiny cuts in Aislinn's lower lip where her teeth had broken the skin. No stitches would be necessary. 

"Sir, ma'am, is Aislinn all right?" Mike approached them with concern for his young charge. 

"She'll be fine," Abbey assured him. "She just cut her lip." Already Aislinn was starting to calm, her sobbing turning to soft hiccups. Abbey turned back to her daughter who was now cuddled tightly to Jed's chest her little fists clutching his shirt as if she'd never let go. She reached a hand out and began to stroke Aislinn's hair, her voice soothing. "You were just trying to catch a firefly when that mean old rock got in your way, weren't you?" 

Aislinn nodded sniffling at the indignity of it all. 

"You want Daddy to kiss it and make it better?" Jed asked. 

Aislinn nodded tipping her chin up for the gentle buss Jed gave her on the lip. 

"Does that feel better?" 

Aislinn nodded slowly. 

"Well, that's not very enthusiastic. Is there anything else Daddy can do to make you feel better?" 

"Fifly." 

"You want a firefly?" 

Aislinn nodded again her lip quivering tremulously. 

"Well then, I guess I'll have to catch you a firefly. You want to help me, Nicholas?" Jed turned to where his young son was warily keeping his distance from all the blood. 

"Yes!" Nicky rushed up to him with excitement. 

"Well, we have to go back up to the cabin and see if we can find a jar, so let's go." 

"Jed, could you grab some ice and another shirt, too?" Abbey gestured to the bloodied pale yellow tank top Aislinn was wearing. 

Jed nodded and he and Nicky made their way up to the cabin. 

By the time they returned with emptied out jars of jelly and olives that they had cleaned and poked holes in the top of, Aislinn was snuggled in Abbey's arms, her baby doll held tightly to her chest. Her face was still pink and puffy from crying and her lip was swollen. She looked so woebegone Jed knew he would do damn near anything to make her smile. He handed Abbey the ice pack, which she applied right away to Aislinn's lip and he and Nicholas set off to catch a firefly. 

Abbey and Aislinn watched them alternately shouting out words of warning, and laughing when their words weren't spoken soon enough. Aislinn's first giggle had come when Jed had tripped over the same rock that she had, and after telling the rock off for both of them, he had Nicholas throw it into the creek. 

Abbey's biggest laugh had come when Jed was squatting near a mesquite bush trying to catch one of the blinking insects and had lost his balance falling back with a howl of protest as his posterior landed on a small cactus. Jed had taken offence to her laughter and approached her with a menacing look on his face. 

"Uh Oh." Aislinn knew they were in trouble. That look on her father's face usually meant she was about to get tickled. 

"You're not going to think that was so funny when you have to spend the rest of the night picking cactus thorns out of my a…butt." 

"I can think of worse ways to spend the night." 

"Ooh you saucy little wench. Why don't you get up off YOUR butt and help us catch one." 

"What do you say, Ash?" Abbey removed the ice from her lip. "You want to help Daddy try to catch a firefly?" 

Aislinn nodded, climbing out of Abbey's lap and reaching for her father's hand, her doll still clutched under one arm. 

For the next fifteen minutes, the agents on the hill watched with amused smiles as the Bartlet family chased fireflies by the creek. 

Finally after much laughter, sweat and hard work, not to mention a few scrapes and bruises, Jed slammed the lid on his jar thrilled to see the blinking firefly inside. 

"GOTCHA, you little sucker." He immediately made his way over to his daughter with the jar held out in front of him as if in offering. Abbey grinned broadly at the sight of him. His hair was hanging down over his forehead, his face sweaty and smudged with dirt. His shirt was torn and little beads of blood popped up on his forearms from fighting losing battles with cacti, but there was a smile on his face and his eyes were dancing with the joy of getting to be his daughter's hero. 

Aislinn gasped with delight and clapped her pudgy little hands when Jed bent in front of her with the jar. 

"Tank you, Dadda," she exclaimed, as she pressed her little nose into the glass to get a closer look at the flashing bug, then urged Nicholas over to see it. 

"You love this," Abbey said, coming up from behind to wrap her arms around his waist. 

"Love what?" 

"Getting to be the big conquering hero for your children." 

Jed just turned and gave her a big grin. He couldn't deny it; her allegation was absolutely true. There were few things on earth greater than the adoring hero-worshipping looks that he received from his children. They were looks that told him he was the greatest, most amazing person they knew. Looks that said they knew he was capable of moving mountains, turning the tides, walking on water. Looks that made him want to do all of that for them and more, for he knew that those looks were fleeting. 

"I'll take it while I can. We both know how fast hero worship turns into adolescent eye rolls and tormented sighs." 

Indeed, Aislinn's enchantment with her father took a huge nosedive when Jed told her she could not keep the firefly – that they needed to release it. When talk of how wrong it was to keep a wild animal imprisoned fell on deaf ears, Jed turned to the heartstrings. 

"I'm sure this little firefly has a mommy and daddy out there just like you and Nicky and they're probably very sad because they can't find him." 

Abbey could see that Aislinn was wavering. "You wouldn't want someone to keep you away from me or Daddy, would you?" she asked. 

"No," Aislinn vehemently shook her curls and handed the jar over to Jed who released the firefly. For a little while, Jed, Abbey, Aislinn, and Nicholas stood watching the flashing little light, the children waving bye-bye to it until it joined others and they could no longer tell which one had been theirs. 

"Well, the firefly has gone home to go night-night with his mommy and daddy," Abbey said lifting Aislinn up on to her hip. "So, I think it's time we get you two back to the cabin for bath time and night-night." 

"No seepy," Nicholas told her. 

"Well, you will be sleepy in a little while." 

"No night-night." 

"Tell you what, partner," Jed bartered with the boy. "If you don't give Mommy and me a hard time about going to bed, I'll give you a shoulder ride back to the cabin." 

Nicholas didn't have to think long about his decision. 

"Up, up." He lifted his arms and Jed swung him up on to his shoulders before turning to Abbey who still held a yawning Aislinn on her hip. 

"Ready to go ladies?" he asked. 

Abbey nodded and Jed slid an arm around her waist, the four of them one tight unit as they made their way back to the cabin. 

"So," Jed said as they approached the cabin. "Do you think you're going to be able to make it to debate camp next weekend?" 

"I think it's possible I might put in an appearance. Why?" 

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I have a few old fantasies from my camp days that involve sneaking a girl into my cabin." He squeezed her hip suggestively. 

"I thought you were going to this camp for an intellectual workout." 

"I am. My mind functions much better when I'm completely relaxed and you know more than anyone that the ONE thing that relaxes me more than anything else is…" 

"Jed." Abbey slapped a hand over his mouth to keep whatever lascivious term was about to slip out from between his lips from airing. "Did you forget who we have with us? They're like little parrots now repeating everything that we say." 

"I was simply going to say that the ONE thing that relaxes me more than anything else is cuddling with Mommy." Abbey flashed him a pleased smile and he leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. "And we both know what THAT leads to." He gave her a quick pinch on the rear stepping quickly away to avoid the retaliatory measures. 

"You're going to pay for that, mister," she called out. 

"Make me pay, baby," he taunted. "Make me pay." 


	20. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"Tell me what she said again, Bruno." Jed set the file he was examining down and turned his full attention to his campaign manager. 

"When she was asked about losing her medical license, Mrs. Bartlet responded that right now she's just a wife and mother." 

"Well, what's wrong with that?" Jed asked. "It's the truth. She's not out there performing surgery, or seeing patients, or even teaching. She's campaigning on her husband's behalf and raising two young children, hence she's just a wife and mother." 

"Yes, it is the truth but it's the 'JUST' that's causing a problem. Some stay at home mothers are planning to picket her because they feel it's condescending for her to make that kind of statement." 

"You're kidding, right?" Jed peered over the top of his glasses. 

"I wish that I were. The Republicans are all over this like a pig in shit. They're trying to say that Abbey Bartlet, brilliant surgeon and professor, is looking down her nose at women who are JUST wives and mothers." 

"That's bullshit, Bruno. Abbey takes all of her roles, especially that of wife and mother very seriously. There were several times in her life when Abbey WAS a stay at home mom, including the first three years of Elizabeth's life. Her own mother was a stay at home mom and Abbey damn near worships the ground that she walks on. She doesn't think any less of any woman who made the choice to pursue family as their career, just as she doesn't think any less of any woman who made a career her choice over having a family. Abbey chose to do both; she doesn't think that makes her any better or any worse than any other woman out there." 

"Good answer," CJ clapped after hearing the President's impassioned defense of his wife. 

"It IS a good answer," Bruno agreed. "And you'll need to be ready with it because Janet Ritchie has already jumped into the fray." 

"Janet Ritchie is involved?" 

"Yes, according to her being a wife and mother are the most rewarding roles that she's ever played and she and Abbey must have different ambitions." 

"DAMN her. As if the fact that Abbey has an ambitious career makes her any less of a loving wife and mother. God, I HATE it when women do that to each other. Stay at home mothers feel that they are somehow less in society's eyes because they don't have a life outside the home, while women with careers and families are always torn over whether they are spending enough time within their home, and single mothers are just struggling every day to get by. When are they going to realize how much they have in common and band together instead of always tearing each other apart?" 

"When you feel guilty it's easier to lash out and try to make the other side look bad," CJ attempted to defend the sisterhood. "Men never have to worry about that kind of guilt." 

"Well, Janet Ritchie is going to be damn sorry that she lashed out at my wife." 

"Sir, I don't think you need to worry," Sam said. "Anybody who has ever watched Mrs. Bartlet with Zoey or with Nicholas and Aislinn can see how much that she loves them. The American people know how much that she loves her family and what she has sacrificed for that family." 

"How in the hell do we keep descending into this madness?" Jed asked with disgust. "This campaign is supposed to be about the economy, about health care, about terrorism and foreign policy, but so far all anybody seems to care about are semi-nude photos my wife had taken for me as a gift and whether or not she loves her children. How does any of that affect the American public?" 

"It doesn't," Bruno said. "Well, other than those pictures causing the blood pressure of every straight male in the country to sky rocket." 

"And maybe a few gay ones as well," Sam grinned. 

Jed gave a soft laugh, his anger deflating as Bruno had hoped. "Don't worry, sir. All of this is going to change with the debates. The debates will be about substance not fluff." 

"I hope you're right, Bruno, but just in case, Charlie, get me Harry Nilsson on the phone." 

**** 

"Harry, Jed Bartlet here." Jed sat back on the bed he was using while staying at the Saybrook Institute in North Carolina. 

"Uh…Mr. President. Hello." Harry stammered. 

"Listen, I have a favor to ask you." 

Harry tensed wondering if he was about to get an earful over the sexy photos that he had taken of the First Lady. "Of course. Anything." 

"You know my wife has been taking some pretty good hits for those negatives that you neglected to destroy." 

"I'm aware of that and let me just say again how sorry I am about that." 

"I know that she spoke with you and that you apologized for what happened. However, apologies aren't going to cut it anymore. Janet Ritchie has been after my wife ever since her husband announced his candidacy. I need some leverage to attack back the next time they go after Abbey." 

"How can I help you with that?" 

"I know that your partner is the one who gave the negatives to David Brenner, who is the head of the RNC, and that he in turn gave them to Janet Ritchie." 

"Yes, I gave Mrs. Bartlet that information. I was surprised that you didn't expose the Ritchies involvement right away." 

"We didn't do it because my wife was very hesitant to expose your, uh, personal life. If we expose the Ritchies we'll have to do it at your expense. Neither of us like the idea of embarrassing innocent people, which is why we haven't moved forward. We figured everything would blow over, and really, the pictures coming out have actually helped us in some polls. People have more sympathy for Abbey." 

"Then why the change of heart?" 

"Because the mud is starting to fly pretty damn thick and I'm getting sick to death of it. I have a pretty good hunch that things are only going to get worse once it's time for the debates." 

"I see. Well, what do you want from me?" 

"Your permission to throw Janet Ritchie's involvement back in Rob Ritchie's face if I need to." 

"You certainly don't need my permission for that, sir." 

"I know I don't NEED your permission. I'd like your permission. As I said the idea of hurting innocent people doesn't set well with me, but then neither does watching my wife take all these hits." 

An overwhelming sense of respect for Jed Bartlet took Harry over. This man was the President of the United States; he could have very easily destroyed his enemy's image by leaking the photo information, and instead he sat on it waiting for permission so that another person wouldn't be hurt. 

"I came to terms with my homosexuality decades ago, sir. The fact that I didn't do as the First Lady asked and destroy the negatives myself may hurt me professionally, but that's my own fault, isn't it? I think the person you have to worry about embarrassing is David Brenner. He's so far in the closet he'll have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the light. The head of the Republican National Committee having an affair with a male fashion photographer is going to destroy him." 

"Probably, but I don't give a damn about David Brenner at this point. I really could not care less about his sexuality, although I know that won't be the case with the other members of his party and constituency. What I care about is what he did with those photos. He made his bed and now he's going to have to lie in it." 

"You do what you have to do, sir. I'm behind you and Mrs. Bartlet all the way and if you need somebody to corroborate your story, you tell the press to come and speak with me." 

"Thank you, Harry." 

"No, thank you, sir, for having the decency to speak with me about this." 

**** 

"You know I remember camp being more fun than this," Jed said, as they moved into the afternoon session of prep. "When do we get to go canoeing and sing around the campfire?" 

"When you stop giving answers like 'bite me' to the questions that you're asked," Leo told him. There was nothing humorous in Leo's tone. The two had just come from a Situation Room meeting where Jed had all but ignored any of Leo's input. Jed knew that Leo was pissed about that. Leo had gotten very used to Jed accepting his advice and acting upon it almost without question. Leo was the one with the White House experience, the military experience, but Jed was no longer a novice. He was a brilliant man, an incredible politician and a born leader and he could feel himself growing into the job. He didn't need Leo's advice quite so much anymore, or maybe need was the wrong term. Maybe he didn't always want Leo's advice or maybe it was just that he wasn't accepting it at face value anymore. 

Jed didn't know when the relationship had begun to change with his Chief of Staff. He didn't know whether it was a natural evolution or if it was because of his shifting personal relationship. He did know that ever since the truth had come out about Leo's feelings for Abbey and how he had acted upon those feelings, nothing had been the same. He no longer blindly trusted the man and he had begun to wonder if there would always be that edge to their personal relationship. 

Then again, maybe it wasn't the loss of trust between the two. Maybe the change had come when Leo had convinced him to have a man killed. Ordering the hit on Shareef had gone against everything that Jed had believed in and that act still weighed heavily on his soul. 

Or maybe it was just that he was moving into the adulthood of his Presidency. Leo was only a year older than Jed was but ever since they'd become friends at prep school, he'd always seemed much older. Life had forced Leo McGarry to become street smart and wise beyond his years, while Jed had been sheltered and far more innocent. He'd relied on Leo's experience and savvy very much in the first year of his Presidency, had relied on it even more while he was recuperating from the shooting in his second year. But now he was like a teenager trying to assert his independence. He didn't need Leo quite so much anymore and like any parent that was hard for Leo to accept. 

Maybe this small chasm was a combination of everything that had happened over the first term of his Presidency. He still relied on Leo's advice – still turned to him to help make decisions, but never again would he do so blindly. Never again would he accept without questions. Never again would he play the part of protégé. The role was his now and he was embracing it for all it was worth. Leo was simply going to have to step back and learn to accept his own new role – to see that Jed not only WAS the President, he had BECOME the President and like any good parent, he was going to have to accept Jed's independence if he planned to continue on in his role of best friend and advisor. 

**** 

Between debate prep and Situation Room meetings, Jed was intellectually and physically exhausted. His advisors had gotten a break for supper and singing, but he and Leo had been in meetings right through the evening meal and then it had been right into the last debate session, which ended well after 10 p.m.. His steps were heavy as he made his way up the stairs, however, as reached the top and turned down the hall toward his bedroom and saw Abbey's Secret Service detail standing outside the bedroom door, his heavy tread lightened and he quickly finished the trip. 

"I think I'm in for the night, boys," he grinned at his agents. 

"Good night, sir." 

Jed nodded as he opened the door. It would be now. 

Wearing baggy silky pajamas, her curly hair rumpled, Abbey lay propped up by pillows on the bed. She had obviously fallen asleep waiting for him to return, for her glasses still lay perched on her nose and her book was lying open over her breasts. She looked soft and feminine and utterly adorable. It was amazing how just seeing her could cause his mood to lighten and the pressure within him to dissipate. 

He lay down next to her on the bed reaching a tentative hand out to remove her glasses. 

"Hmmm…" Abbey stirred at the touch, unconsciously moving closer to him. Tenderness tightened his chest and caused his eyes to sting. Dear Lord, how he loved this woman. 

"Abbey, I'm back." He ran his index finger down the bridge of her nose. She blinked her eyes sleepily a slow smiling curving her lips as she saw his face just inches from hers. 

"I've been waiting for you." Her voice was husky with sleep and her own innate sensuality. 

"I can see that." He removed the book from her chest and scooted closer to her. One hand trailed lightly over her cheek and before Abbey was even completely awake, his lips were on hers, soft, gentle, welcoming. She liked letting him kiss her like this, waking her up so sweetly and tenderly that it made her heart swell with the love she held for him. He kissed her a long time like that, not asking for anything in return until his hand slid under her pajama top to press lightly over her lower back and she arched into him with a sigh, shuddering as she felt the hard heat of his desire. At that point, control on both sides snapped and suddenly they were kissing as if they meant it, as if they would devour each other. Abbey's mouth opened asking for more and Jed complied, his tongue invading her with sensuous expertise, his hands sliding into the waistband of her baggy pajama bottoms to cup and knead the soft bare flesh of her luscious little butt. With a soft moan into his mouth, Abbey's arms tightened around his neck and she began to rock feverishly against him. 

"Jed…please…" She yanked his shirt up, her fingers working at the button of his jeans. "I'm on fire…" 

"Don't worry, babe." He pulled back slightly to work at the fly of his pants. "I'll take care of it." 

And, being a man of his word, he did. 

**** 

"I'm not going to get in trouble for this, am I?" Abbey asked, as she nibbled along Jed's chest, the aftershocks of their lovemaking still quivering through their bodies. 

"Trouble?" Jed's chest was still heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "I don't think we've had to worry about that since we were sneaking around having sex in my father's car just after graduation. God, I couldn't keep my hands off of you then and I can't keep my hands off of you now." 

"Ha ha. That wasn't what I meant. I was wondering if you were like a boxer getting ready for a fight, you know, no sex, nothing to distract you. And, by the way, let's not make it sound like I was jumping into your car to have sex with you every night of the week. ONCE, Jed. One time after we were engaged, I snuck out of the house and let you have your way with me in the back seat of your car." 

Jed didn't remind her that the only reason they hadn't done it again was because a few days later she had found out that she was pregnant from their first encounter which had been without the benefit of protection. "Really? All this time I thought you were having your way with me." 

"Very funny," she rolled off of him. 

Jed chuckled then settled back against the pillows pulling Abbey toward him. She snuggled up to him throwing her legs over his thighs and laying her cheek against his torso. 

"I'm going to lose New Hampshire," he told her. The words may have been matter of fact but the monotone voice held a wealth of hurt. 

"Maybe." 

"No maybes about it. They told me it's out of reach." 

"We'll see." 

"Leo's pissed at me." 

"He'll get over it." 

"I don't know. Things are changing between us. I'M changing. I question his advice now." 

"That's not such a bad thing." She traced her fingertips teasingly over his chest. 

"Maybe not. He's always hated that I have to weigh things out in my mind before I make a decision. That I don't jump right in with both feet." 

"Jumping right in with both feet can be a pretty dangerous thing to do, especially when you're the President. Maybe that's why you're the President and Leo's your Chief of Staff." 

Jed nodded threading his fingers through Abbey's silky hair. His silence on the matter caused Abbey to lift her chin to gaze up at him. "You're worried about your motivation." It wasn't a question. 

"Yeah," he nodded. "I hope I'm not acting this way because of you…because of finding out how he feels about you." 

"It's going to take time, Jed. Finding out about Leo's feelings, and about how he acted on those feelings tore at the very foundation of your friendship. You completely, blindly trusted him to always be looking out for your best interests and then you found out that he wanted to have sex with your wife and would have betrayed you if your wife hadn't been such a pillar of virtue." She grinned impishly up at him and stuck her fingertip in his belly button. 

Jed gave a soft laugh and tugged at a strand of her hair. "I guess you're right. A part of me would like to go back to the way that it was, but another part of me likes who I'm becoming." 

"You've always been a great man, Jed. Now you're well on your way to becoming a great President. I'm sure that there has to be some jealousy on Leo's part. We all know that it was HIS dream to be President and for four years he's been able to live sort of vicariously through you. Now maybe you don't need him so much. That has to be hard on him. This job…" Abbey broke off as Jed's stomach rumbled with hunger. 

"Jed, did you eat supper?" she asked. 

"I have a Snickers bar in my pants pocket," he said sheepishly. 

"Sorry, but contrary to their commercials Snickers bars are not an alternative to a meal." She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Naked, she began wandering around the room to find her pajamas and bathrobe. Jed lay back enjoying the show until she turned on him. "Get your ass out of bed, Bartlet. We're going to get something to eat." 

"I'll just call down and have something sent up." 

"Jed, it's after 11. This isn't a hotel. We're not waking up some poor cook because you decided to skip a meal. I'm sure we'll be able to find something." She tossed his jeans to him and set forth toward the door. Jed did as told. He might be able to question Leo's authority over him but he'd never question Abbey's. Questioning Abbey's advice came with too high a price. The loss of recreational activities with his delicious little wife was not something that he would ever take a chance with. 

**** 

Abbey stood at the refrigerator in the kitchen of the Saybrook Institute. "We've got some definite possibilities here," she told him. "Mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, cheese, butter, eggs. I can whip us up some pretty good omelets." She turned from the refrigerator with her arms full of vegetables. "Could you grab the eggs for me?" Jed nodded. 

After setting the ingredients on the counter and tossing some butter into a skillet, Abbey turned to get the eggs from Jed and was confronted by the delectable sight of her husband's jean clad butt as he leaned into the refrigerator looking for the carton of eggs. Slowly, quietly, she made her way up behind him and slid a hand between his parted legs to cup gently over his balls. She didn't expect quite the reaction that she got. Jed gasped and jumped at the feel of the hand on his crotch and the carton of eggs dropped to the floor splattering egg whites and yolk everywhere. 

"What were you doing?" He whirled on her. "You scared the hell out of me." 

Abbey couldn't help but softly giggle at his response. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect you to jump out of your skin." 

"You grab my balls and don't expect me to jump out of my skin?" 

"Not like that. We better clean up this mess." 

"Or maybe you should finish what you started." Jed grabbed her wrist and placed her hand back over his crotch, grinding it into him. Abbey felt him burgeoning under her fingertips and she gave him a soft squeeze in response. Jed's eyes closed, a contented sigh sliding past his lips. He felt her working his fly and slipping her hand inside his pants. Felt her warm fingers delving through the thicket of hair at his groin. 

"You aren't wearing any underwear," she whispered against his neck, as she took his penis into her hand and began stroking the satiny hardness, feeling his pulsing heart beat in every ridge. 

"You only gave me…the pants," he groaned out, his fingers digging into her shoulder as she began to work him harder and faster, running her palm over the tip of him so she could use the wetness of his emission to increase her speed and friction. Jed groaned softly as she squeezed him, milking every ounce of pleasure out of him. 

"Oh, Lord, babe..." he choked, the near pain of release building deep in his belly. "You're too damn good at this." 

It was his last coherant thought. Abbey heard his breath quicken. She felt his belly and thighs tighten and his penis seemed to swell to twice its size in her hand just before he exploded in climax. 

"Abbeeeyy…" he bit out her name on a low deep moan as he ejaculated into her hand. 

Abbey continued to stroke him, gently now, soothingly. "Every time I do that I know exactly why it feels so good when it happens inside of me," she murmured, kissing him softly on the lips. 

"Something's burning in the kitchen…" 

Jed and Abbey heard the voices just in the nick of time to break apart. Abbey quickly turned to the sink tossing Jed a paper towel to cleanse himself and Jed went down to his knees on the floor to zip himself back into his pants. By the time the members of the senior staff and the campaign staff entered the kitchen Abbey was washing her hands in the sink and Jed was cleaning the egg mess off the floor. 

"What's burning in here?" Toby asked. 

"Just some butter." Abbey glanced down at Jed trying not to smirk. "We're making omelets." 

"Omelets? That sounds good, count me in." Josh said. 

"Mmm…me too," Sam added. 

"What are you all doing in here?" Leo asked, as he entered the room. 

"Mrs. B. is making us all omelets," Josh grinned. 

Abbey rolled her eyes at Jed. "You better get out some more eggs, babe." she told him. "Be careful this time." 

"You want me to tell them WHY I dropped the eggs?" he whispered, as she handed over the cartons. 

"Not unless you want me to tell them why the front of your jeans are wet." 

Jed looked down at the dark damp spots that decorated the crotch of his pants and flushed a deep shade of red, which caused Abbey to chuckle. "Here," she handed him an apron. "Put this on and start chopping up the green peppers." 

"You gonna give Julia Child a run for her money?" Toby asked, upon seeing the President turn toward them with an apron tied around his waist and a cutting board and green peppers in his hands. 

As all the men began to laugh, Abbey turned on them. "Yes, he is. And you're all going to join him. Just because I'm the wife and mother here doesn't mean I'm going to do all the work. Toby, you start chopping the mushrooms. Sam, you dice the tomatoes and Leo, you can pour the orange juice." 

Bruno sat back watching them all scatter to do Abbey's bidding. 

"Don't think you're out of this, Bruno," Abbey said seeing the smug look on his face. "You can grate the cheese." 

"Guess she told you," Sam laughed. 

While Abbey stood at the stove flipping fluffy omelets, ideas, arguments, taunts and laughter filled the room and she realized just how much she'd missed all of this. How much she'd missed the easy camaraderie and bantering exchanges of intelligent, witty people, people who truly cared about each other. Things had changed so much since she and Jed had moved into the White House. Governors didn't really live at the Governors mansion in East Concord, especially Governors who only lived a twenty minute commute away. Bridges House was used for teas and functions and in the past, if the rumors were true, to house a mistress or two, but the Governors and their families did not live there. So, the intellectual center of Jed's governorship had been their kitchen table at the farm. That had not been the case with the Residence. The Residence kitchen was rightfully a place for Jed to unwind with family only – no politics – and she had been adamant on that. Still, it was easy to see how she could come to view these people who took her husband away from her so often as the enemy. It took evenings like this to remind her that they really were a family. They gossiped, bickered, resented, and made up just like any other family. 

Abbey slid an omelet onto a plate and made her way to where Jed sat at the head of the table, king of his domain. As she placed the plate in front of him, he was in a heated exchange with Toby over the debate forum. Without missing a beat, Jed caught her wrist kissing her palm. 

"Thanks, babe." He continued on with his argument but as Abbey's hand lay on his shoulder squeezing gently, he raised his hand to squeeze her fingers a smile of affection passing between the two. It was easy, unconscious and noticed by all because it was so uncontrived and genuine. Jed pushed his chair out and pulled Abbey down to sit on his lap. 

"They're all worried about the debate forum," he told her. "Expectations are incredibly high for me. Too high. Ritchie is such a moron all he has to do is speak in a complete sentence and it will be a victory for him." 

"Well, what are the odds of Rob Ritchie actually being able to speak one complete sentence?" Abbey asked. 

They had been expecting a pep talk not humor and it took them all a moment before everyone began to laugh. 

"I guess we'll find out in two weeks, won't we?" 


	21. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"Look at this, CJ. Tell me it's not magnificent." Strolling up the middle of the grand tree lined boulevard that was Notre Dame Avenue, Jed Bartlet stopped to gaze up at the Main Building. Sitting at the heart of the campus with its famous Golden Dome topped with the glistening gold statue of the Virgin Mary and its Gothic brick gables and spires, it was an imposing and architecturally stunning building; one that Jed had always thought deserved a much grander name than that of the Main Building. Directly to its left was the equally gothic "Basilica of the Sacred Heart", which, with its spires and stained glass windows gave it the look of a medieval cathedral. At the peak of the highest spire was a gold cross to match the Main Building's Virgin Mary. 

"It IS magnificent, sir," CJ breathed. "I can actually FEEL the seriousness that the Catholic religion is taken here." 

"I felt that too, right from my first visit here. My father really wanted me to go to Dartmouth. I was a Bartlet and Bartlets ALWAYS went to Dartmouth and I was sort of leaning that way, but the moment I stepped on this campus I knew that this was the place for me." 

"Getting Ritchie to agree to debate you here was a real stroke of genius on your part. You really love this place, don't you?" 

"This was where I was born," Jed said simply. 

"What do you mean born? I thought you were born at Catholic Medical Center in New Hampshire." 

"I mean spiritually. It was here the Jed Bartlet that you know was born. It was here at Notre Dame that I learned just what kind of a person that I wanted to be. The philosophy of this university has always been based on optimism and possibility and we were given a strong religious foundation that encouraged values like goodness, truth, and freedom. You've all wondered how easy it is for me to discuss my religious convictions in such a cynical day and age. It was because of this place, because I went to school in a place where it was not considered weird to have conversations about your soul. It was here that I discovered just who Jed Bartlet is and that discovery taught me how to be my own man and how to shape my own destiny. Of course, it wasn't just the school that helped me with that." He faced her with a sweet little grin. "It was the fact that just down the road I met and fell in love with a woman who completely and irrevocably changed my life forever. Some of my happiest days were spent here with Abbey." 

"Man, I wish you'd let me use some of this stuff in press releases," CJ sighed. 

Jed smiled knowingly at her, slid his hands in his pockets, and continued to stride across the campus, his mind a thousand miles away. What he had not elaborated on to CJ was just what a refuge this college had been for him. It was the first time in his entire life that he had been out from underneath his father's thumb. He was no longer the headmaster's son, no longer worried about being under his father's stern, watchful eyes. It was here at Notre Dame that his horizons had broadened, that he had realized his own future did not need to be tied into what his parents wanted for him. It was here that he had truly learned how to love and how to let himself be loved. Loving Abbey had been the easy part; he had been infatuated, intrigued and halfway in love with her right from the first night he'd met her. However, allowing her to love him, to open up so completely to another human being had been emotionally very difficult for him. The birth of Jed Bartlet had not been easy; it had been fraught with pain and peril. 

"Sir?" 

"I'm sorry, CJ. Did you say something?" 

"I asked when the First Lady would be arriving." 

"She's flying in from New Hampshire in a couple of hours. Why the hell is she in New Hampshire, anyway?" Jed turned from CJ looking back at Bruno and Leo who trailed far behind lost in conversation. "Why is Abbey campaigning in New Hampshire?" Jed called back to them. "I thought we said that didn't look good." 

"She's not campaigning, sir. She wanted to spend some time at the farm," Bruno called back. 

"Yeah, so she said. Bringing the kids to see their pediatrician and taking them on an autumn hayride and picking out some pumpkins at Charming Fair Farm." 

"So you see she isn't campaigning." 

"Except that Abbey would never take the children into the orchard to go apple picking that close to the road where all the reporters could take pictures of them. There are plenty of apple trees closer to the house. And, she probably would have made sure that Charming Fair Farm was closed down before bringing the twins on the hayride and letting them pick out pumpkins to decorate the porch. She didn't. The pictures have been plastered all over the papers. She's campaigning." 

A wary look passed between CJ and Bruno. "Did you ever think she might be doing this for herself," CJ asked. She was grasping at straws right now. She knew Abbey WAS campaigning, in a low-key sort of way, AND she knew why. 

"For herself?" 

"To show the world that she really is a great mother; that she's never turned her nose up at that side of herself." 

Jed thought back to all of the mother/children pictures he had seen of his wife and the twins lately and reluctantly had to agree that it made sense. He didn't like that she felt she had to do that, but he did understand. Abbey was a complicated woman, but what most people would never know was just how much her family meant to her. They saw a beautiful, stylish, successful, professional woman but they would never know the sacrifices, the missed job offerings, the passed over medical conventions, the sheer organizational skills that it took to make sure that she was not only true to herself as a woman with a career but also sure that her children were never slighted. The closeness that still existed between Abbey and their older daughters was a testament to the strong bond that she had built with them over the years. And, the fact that when Nicholas or Aislinn awoke scared and crying in the middle of the night they called out for Mommy, not Izzy, only proved the loving seriousness with which she had accepted the role of mother. A role that she had been forced to accept at the tender age of twenty-one, but one that she had embraced with every atom of her being from the moment she became suspicious about Elizabeth's conception, to the day she was born, and forever after. Abbey was, at heart, a mother. 

**** 

"Abbey, are you almost ready?" Jed sat on their bed at the Morris Inn, waiting for his wife to come out of the bathroom where she was changing out of her First lady clothes into the jeans and sweater she had pulled out of her suitcase. 

"I'm just brushing my hair and my teeth. I'll be out in a minute. Why are you in such a rush?" 

"Because there's a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it." 

"Just what do you have planned?" She poked her head out of the bathroom, a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. Only Abbey actually listened to the dentist and brushed three times a day. 

"Just a little trip down memory lane today and tonight. Then tomorrow we'll go to Mass at the Basilica, then to the football game, and then it's debate time." 

"They aren't pitching a fit over you going to the football game rather than going over debate prep?" 

"Oh, they are. I'm just ignoring them. I mean, come on, it's the MICHIGAN game." 

"Whatever were they thinking?" Abbey set her hands on Jed's knees and gazed innocently into his eyes. "I mean it's not like you're running for President or anything." 

"Very funny. Look, we haven't been back to a game since I became President. Michigan is in town and I already have to be here. Of course I'm going." 

"Of course." 

"Look, are we going to sit here and jaw all day, or are we going to step out on campus." 

"Lead the way." 

**** 

Abbey and Jed walked along the campus paths hand in hand, much as they had for the almost year and a half they had dated there. It was a crisp, cool, autumn afternoon, the trees ablaze with color. Sweeping nostalgia filled them both as they walked past the dormitories each had lived in. Both had resided in dorms on "God Quad" known as such because of each dormitory's proximity to the Basilica. Separate dorms, of course, for even today Notre Dame did not allow for co-ed housing. They paused for a moment in front of Walsh Hall where Abbey and Millie had roomed together, two of the first 365 women who had been allowed to get their education at the formerly all male school. 

"Do you know how many times I sat out here staring up at that window waiting for you?" Jed asked. 

"Do you know how many times I sat up there staring out the window looking for you?" 

"We were a couple of moonstruck kids, weren't we?" He grinned, pulling her hand up to kiss the back of her fingers. 

"I guess we were." They continued to stroll on past the French chateau-like Sorin Hall that typically housed the cream of the academic crop and where the future President Bartlet had resided. 

"Not much has changed, has it?" 

"I suppose not, just a little older, a little wiser." 

"You're still that sexy little red-headed spitfire that I fell in love with. You really haven't changed much at all." 

"Of course I have," Abbey laughed. "My hair was longer." 

"So was mine." 

"My hips are bigger." 

"Yeah, well you're boobs are bigger, too. You don't hear me complaining." 

"They may be bigger but they don't stay up quite so nicely anymore." 

"Hey!" Jed turned to her affronted. "Don't pick on my girls. Thelma and Louise are a couple of my best pals and they are absolutely perfect." He stepped back and surveyed her with appreciation. She was still slender, her waist tiny, but now there were gentle graceful curves. "You were almost too skinny back then. I love the way your curves filled in so nicely." 

Abbey smiled and ran a hand over his cheek staring deeply into his beautiful baby blue eyes. They were the same eyes that she had fallen in love with when she was only nineteen years old. They had a few lines beside them now but that only added character and depth to his incredibly handsome Irish face. "You've aged pretty damn well yourself." 

"Look, we're here." 

"The Grotto," Abbey sighed. They had made their way around Corby Hall and now stood at the entrance to a cave known as the Grotto, or more formally, The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Outside the shallow cave high up in the rocks were statues of the Virgin Mary and St. Bernadette, while inside there were hundreds of flickering burning candles and a wrought iron railing used to kneel in prayer. 

"Remember the night that you took me here when my mother called to tell me my grandfather had died?" Abbey asked, squeezing his hand with the memory. 

"Of course I do." 

"You brought me here and we lit candles for his soul then we sat on the bare ground and you held me in your arms and let me cry for nearly an hour." 

"You needed to grieve." 

"Yes, I did. You knew me so well, Jed. Right from the start." 

"I loved you." 

"Other boys had said that to me before, but you were the first one that I knew meant it." 

"Because I wasn't trying to get into your pants when I said it?" Jed scowled. He and Abbey didn't have any secrets. He knew that she hadn't slept with any of those boys, but he also knew that that wasn't from a lack of trying on their part. 

"Partially," she laughed softly at his reaction. "But mostly because you always put me and my feelings first. That was when I knew exactly what it meant to love somebody. You were a man, Jed. They were still boys." 

They made their way out of the Grotto and across Holy Cross drive as dusk settled over the campus. They strolled along St. Mary's Road and stood among the sycamores on the small island of land that divided St. Joseph and St. Mary lakes. They stood side by side arms wrapped around each other's waists gazing out at St. Mary's, watching the lights of the campus reflect romantically on the clear sheet of water. 

"God, do you remember how many picnics we had here?" Abbey chuckled. 

"Yes, I do. Bologna and cheese, Frito's, Hostess Twinkies and beer." 

"Oh, God, don't remind me," Abbey groaned. 

"Hey, don't pick on the Twinkies." 

"I know, I know, pathetically enough, when you have a world renowned chef working for you, Twinkies are still your comfort food." 

"They bring back good memories. Do you remember that this was the first place that I ever saw you in a bikini?" 

"Uh, yes," she laughed. "I thought your eyes were going to bug out of your head." 

"Well, I'd never seen anything so damn sexy in all my life. You in that little black bikini with the tiny white polka dots gave me an erection that lasted a week." 

"You've always had a thing for black bikinis, haven't you?" 

"Only if you're the one wearing them." 

"Did you know that that day was the moment I knew it was only a matter of time until I slept with you?" 

"You never let on." 

"What was I supposed to say? 'Oh my God, Jed, the way that you look at me is making my bones melt'? I was a good Catholic girl; we'd only been dating three months before we'd had to split up for the summer. I wasn't ready for all that I was feeling, emotionally AND sexually. But, I knew that I wanted you. I watched you sitting there in your swimsuit, the sun dancing in your dark gold hair and over the tanned planes of your face. I watched the water beading up in your chest hair and dripping down into your belly button and you have no idea how badly I wanted to touch you. How much I wanted to lay my hands against your chest and run my fingers over your flat stomach. You have no idea how much that line of hair that ran from your navel into your swimming trunks intrigued me. I spent nights lying awake tossing and turning wondering what you would look like naked." 

"I had plenty of those nights myself. I had more erotic dreams after I met you than I'd had all through puberty." 

"It's amazing that we held out as long as we did." 

"We almost didn't. Don't you remember Christmas break when my parents walked in on us." 

"Oh, man," Abbey moaned. "I thought I was going to DIE. Ten more minutes and the deed would have been done. I don't know what was worse – them walking in on us, or your dad finding the condom that we were going to use and giving it back to us for future use. My God, Jed, he looked at me as if I were a whore." 

"You don't know how badly I wanted to hit him right then. You were so amazing, Abbey, so brave. The way that you just thanked him and took it from him tucking it into your pocket was so great. But, after he left the room and I saw your eyes fill with tears, I realized just how embarrassed you were and how hurt by the way that he perceived you, and THAT was when I wanted to strike him." 

"I wanted to strike him a few times myself over the years." 

They both laughed then Jed looked down at his watch. "We better get going. We have dinner reservations." 

"Where?" 

"Where do you think?" 

"Well, let's see. You're in a bit of a nostalgic mood here so I'd have to say the "Tea Garden". 

"Give the lady a gold star." 

**** 

They could have dined at the Morris Inn; it had a first class dining area with white linen napkins and an elegant atmosphere and it boasted a clientele that included all former Presidents back to Eisenhower, along with famous writers and entertainers, and even a pope. But Jed hadn't wanted to dine at the Morris Inn. The Inn was not for students. It was for parents and that was where he had dined when his parents came to visit. He wanted to remember the places that had eaten with Abbey and one of their favorites was the restaurant where they had gone on their first date. 

The "Tea Garden" was a small hole in the wall that catered to the college crowd. There was nothing fancy or elegant about this Chinese restaurant. 

"Still the same tasteless red and gold wallpaper with the dragon heads," Abbey said, as they were seated in the restaurant that had been kept empty for their visit. 

"Still the same tacky plastic pineapple candle holders," Jed grinned. The restaurant's decor was decidedly cliché. However, as Jed and Abbey had learned, they served the best General Gao's chicken in South Bend and after their first date, the two had become frequent visitors. 

"What do you remember most about sitting here on our first date?" Abbey asked him, as she sipped her Mai Tai. 

"I remember looking into your eyes and wondering if I was going to be able to get the nerve up to kiss you good night. What about you?" 

"I remember holding your hand for the first time and anticipating what it would be like when you kissed me good night. Do you remember that we were here when I first told you that I loved you?" 

"I believe you told Ron, not me," he grinned ruefully. "And you were pissed." 

"You're right, I did," she laughed. "And I WAS pissed." Her mind wandered back quickly to that night – to the jealous encounter between Jed and Ron that had angered her so much she had lashed out at Ron with the fact that she was in love with Jed, something she hadn't even told HIM yet. "But I did tell you more nicely later that evening." She was quiet then remembering Jed's response. The tears that had filled his eyes and the knowledge that nobody had ever told him they loved him before. 

"Yes, you did." His hand covered hers acknowledging the same memory. "This was also the place that on that same night, I struck a man for the first and one of the few times in my life." 

"Avenging my honor when Ron said those nasty things about me," she nodded. 

"I don't know how you could be friends with him again after he called you a cocktease in front of the entire restaurant." Jed's scowl was so petulant and little boyish that Abbey had to chuckle. 

"Because I knew that he was hurting. He was embarrassed in front of his friends and hurt by the fact that I was choosing you over him, so he lashed out at me the only way he knew how. It was the only way that he could save face. He apologized to me later and I forgave him. I felt sorry for him. Just because I didn't love him, didn't mean that he didn't really love me. I never realized just how much he had loved me until after I broke up with him." 

"Would it have made any difference?" Jed asked tightly, wondering if history might have been re-written if Ron Erlich hadn't messed things up for himself. 

"No." She laid her hand over his. "Because no matter how much Ron loved me, he couldn't make me love him. He couldn't before I met you, and certainly not after. But let's not spend our evening wasting time talking about Ron." 

"Okay, I'm more than happy to change the subject. So, who do you think is going to win the game tomorrow?" 

**** 

It was another cool autumn day, the football stadium humming with excitement as the pre-game entertainment had finished and they waited impatiently for the football team to burst out onto the field. The President and First Lady sat under their own personal faded navy blue and gold "Fighting Irish" blanket and sipped hot coffee from a thermos just as they had when they were students here. Only this time their seats were much better. 

A huge cheer erupted as the Notre Dame banner was carried out onto the field with the players in their navy and gold uniforms following close behind. Jed and Abbey Bartlet were on their feet cheering and singing along with the crowd as the marching band struck up the cords of _The Victory March_ , the most famous football fight song ever. 

> _"Rally sons of Notre Dame,_  
>  Sing her glory and sound her fame,   
> Raise her Gold and Blue.   
> And cheer with voices true,   
> Rah! Rah! For Notre Dame.   
> We will fight in every game,   
> Strong of heart and true to her name.   
> We will ne'er forget her,   
> And will cheer her ever,   
> Loyal to Notre Dame. 
> 
> Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame,   
> Wake up the echoes cheering her name,   
> Send a volley cheer on high,   
> Shake down the thunder from the sky,   
> What though the odds be great or small,   
> Old Notre Dame will win over all,   
> While her loyal sons are marching   
> ONWARD TO VICTORY!"

Like the _Star Spangled Banner_ played for Olympic champions, this was the song that caused tears to sting in the eyes of every Notre Dame alumnus and Jed and Abbey Bartlet were no exception. Lumps were present in their throats as they watched the Irish Guard in their bright red jackets, plaid kilts and black bearskin shakos line up to present the colors for _America the Beautifu_ l and the _Star Spangled Banner_. 

"This is what it's all about," Jed turned to his senior staffers, as he sat back down for the start of the football game. His face was beaming with enthusiasm and pride. The staffers were all there except for Josh and Bruno, who were busy with debate prep. Leo was getting glares from all around as he proudly displayed his Michigan collared sweatshirt. "It's more than just a football game. It's the sense of history and tradition. Back in…" 

"Mr. President," Sam interrupted what he was sure would be a long-winded history of Notre Dame. "They're getting ready to kick off." 

Stopped in mid-lecture, Jed turned quickly back around to cheer on the start of the game. 

Part way through the gridiron battle with Jed and Leo ribbing each other about their respective teams Millie turned to grin at Abbey. "This is just like old times, isn't it?" 

"You have no idea." Abbey felt Jed's hand squeeze her knee under the blanket in acknowledgement of her words then continue moving higher up her thigh to cop a feel just as he had on those cold autumn home games when they were students. Nope, some things never changed. 

**** 

"Jed, are you almost finished in here?" Wearing only a black silk slip, Abbey stepped into the bathroom to see her husband standing at the sink with a towel wrapped around his hips. He was just rinsing his face from his shave. He was in an ebullient mood; the Fighting Irish having defeated their arch rival Michigan. 

"Just one more minute and it's all yours. Have you seen my deodorant?" 

"Never let 'em see you sweat," Abbey grinned, as she handed him the Old Spice scented deodorant that he favored. 

"I'll do what I can." He lifted an arm and began liberally applying the Speed Stick. 

"You nervous?" She asked nonchalantly, while pulling make up out of her cosmetic case. 

"Me, nervous, nah." He turned to squeeze the toothpaste onto his toothbrush. 

"You shouldn't be, you know. You're going to kick Ritchie's ass tonight." 

"Course I am, never any doubt." It was said with a mouthful of toothpaste. 

"There's just one thing that you have to remember. Toby wanted me to remind you." 

Jed looked at her with a questioning frown. 

"Don't let your temper get the better of you. DO NOT let him get you riled up. HE may be stupid but I'm sure his staff has done their homework. They're going to know what your weaknesses are and a huge one is us, your family. He may bring me up; he may talk about my medical license. He may ask you as a Catholic if you would condone Zoey having an abortion, or if Aislinn were kidnapped, molested and killed if you would want her killer to get the death penalty or simply a life sentence." 

"You think I'm just going to stand there and take that kind of shit. No man in America would expect me to stand there stoically and allow that. Look what happened to Dukakis." He spit into the sink. 

"I don't expect you to stand there stoically. I just don't want you to let him rattle you with that. You know your convictions; you know the answers. But if you let your emotions about your family take control of you, you're apt to threaten to bomb his house." 

Jed laughed at that one. "Abbey, you're priceless." He leaned over and gave her a kiss full of toothpaste. Abbey ran her tongue over her lips. 

"Mmm…minty." She gave him a saucy grin, then glanced down at her watch. "Less than two hours until the debate. You better get your butt moving, Bartlet." 

"So, any bets on tonight's outcome?" he asked. 

"I think Rob Ritchie is going to rue the day he ever agreed to stand on a stage and debate Jed Bartlet. I have complete confidence that you, my darling," she tweaked his nose, "are going to completely annihilate him." 

Jed grinned, his chest puffing up with pride. Abbey believed in him and there was no way he was going to let his woman down, no way at all. Rob Ritchie didn't stand a chance. 


	22. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Abbey watched Jed conferring with Charlie in a corner of the debate prep room. She knew they were discussing the "tie issue". Four years ago in the last Presidential debate, Jed had to borrow a tie from Josh at the last minute and she knew that her husband truly believed that it was that adrenaline high that had given him the edge in the debate. From then on the tie had been considered his lucky tie. Charlie had sent it out to be dry-cleaned and it had been ruined, thus leaving Jed on the most important night of the presidential election without his lucky tie. She had no doubt that her husband was consoling the young man so he wouldn't feel so badly. 

"Could we have President Bartlet and Governor Ritchie to the stage, please." 

Jed turned to the staff wanting a last moment of privacy with Abbey to gear himself for the battle ahead. "Leo?" 

"Yeah. Guys we're going to give them the room now." 

The staffers all lined up with CJ at the front. They were a team and he was their leader. They'd helped him, prepared him, would be there to back him up, but ultimately it was all up to him now. He was their ace and tonight it was winner take all. 

"Bring it, boss," CJ grinned at him and bent to kiss his cheek. 

Josh extended his hand with a cocky smile. "Nothing but strikes." 

Sam followed with another extended hand. "Game on." 

Last came Leo. He looked into Jed's face and thought of the preppy young man who had befriended him when he'd been a withdrawn, sullen teenager with a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. There had been bad blood between them this year, no doubt about it, but he was still his best friend and Leo was proud of that. He gave Jed a slow smile. "Just remember, there's no such thing as too smart." 

Jed nodded and watched them all leave the room before turning to where Abbey had been hanging back leaning against the table. Their eyes met. A smile had started to curve on Abbey's lips when a loud crunching noise filled the room causing them both to turn to see that Toby was still in the room. It was Abbey's incredulous look that caused Toby to come forward. 

"I just assumed you wanted to include me." He stood with the President's hand clenched in his, not saying another word. There was nothing left to be said. Toby knew Jed Bartlet had what it took to get the job done. He had the mental toughness, the sharp wit, the brilliant mind – the only question was whether he would use it or instead decide to protect himself in the cloak of being one of the "good old boys". Jed received Toby's message loud and clear, his eyes never wavering, and finally Toby left the room. 

With the door finally shut Abbey moved forward, wondering if she was going to have the nerve to go through with this. "Well, it's in the bag," she told him. "You have someone to show off for." 

"My daughters are here?" A sweet smile of delight crossed his face. 

Abbey noticed the light that sparked in his eyes with the news and was glad they had decided to surprise him. "Are you kidding? Ellie's wearing make up." 

"Well, I don't approve of that." 

"You understand she's twenty-seven, right?" 

"I don't approve of that either. Remember the tie Josh had to give me at the last minute?" 

"Yeah, I heard that happened. So, do you think there's any point in still having the debate?" That was Abbey, sarcasm at its best, not allowing him to wallow in self-pity. 

"There was a lot of juice in that tie. It was like in the last seconds. Just the energy getting me out on stage." 

"Well…tough." 

"Sir?" Charlie entered the room. 

"Yeah." He turned back to Abbey. "I gotta go." 

Abbey reached out to him, all teasing and sarcasm gone. "We'll do mushy later. So, for now, I've just got to say I love you SO MUCH my head's gonna fly off." 

The staffers turned away at the intimate words wanting to afford the couple privacy. "But, more importantly," Abbey continued. "Game on, boyfriend! Let's go!" 

Jed nodded. He thought quickly about kissing her but ditched that idea knowing he needed to have his wits about him. "Okay." He started to leave. 

It's now or never Abbey-girl…Abbey took a deep breath and grabbed his elbow before he could get away. "By the way, I feel bad. I don't think I've done enough to help you prepare for this debate." 

"Why are you telling me this now?" Jed asked with exasperation. Now was certainly not the time for a heart to heart. 

Abbey quickly pulled out a pair of scissors and with her adrenaline pumping like crazy, she sliced his tie in two. "Just 'cause." She stared at the bottom half of the tie she was now holding in her hand with surprise and shock. She'd actually done it. 

The look on Jed's face as he stared down at his chest was not one of surprise; it was one of absolute horror. His wide, stunned eyes moved up to look at his wife taking in the sly grin that crossed Abbey's face. 

"Oh, my God, you're insane. Are you…? You're insane!" He turned from her as he began undoing the knot in his tie. "Charlie!" 

He began heading for the door, turning back once with incredulity to see Abbey still standing there. She was reeling a bit from the fact that she'd had the guts to go through with her plan, but when Jed turned back around she dangled the tie saucily and gave him an evil little laugh. His face tightened and his eyes narrowed promising retribution and he turned to race out into the hall. 

"Josh, we need your tie," Charlie said, as they all began striding toward the stage. 

"What the hell?" Josh asked. 

"Take it off!" 

"What happened?" CJ asked. 

"My wife cut it off with scissors," Jed told them. 

"Why?" Josh asked. 

Jed glanced back at where Abbey was now rushing to catch up with them. "I don't think we have that kind of time." Adrenaline was rushing through his veins now as Sam worked to slip the tie around his neck and they all went tumbling through the door that lead to the stage. Abbey caught up with them as they approached the edge of the stage and she began to work frantically at straightening her husband's tie. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, President Josiah Bartlet of New Hampshire and Governor Robert Ritchie of Florida." 

Abbey was smoothing Jed's collar as he was announced then turned away to let him go. She never saw him lift his hand high up behind her only to bring it down hard, smacking her sharply on the rear. 

"Oh!" Abbey was startled by the slap and glanced up quickly to see Jed was already on his way to the stage. A sexy, secret smile curved across her lips as she tucked her hair back behind her ear. It was definitely getting very hot in here, she thought. 

**** 

Behind the cameras, Abbey quietly made her way toward her seat. As she passed Janet Ritchie, she saw the woman lean down to whisper something to her daughter Brenda, the Ritchie's only child, then the two gave her a look that could only be described as malevolent. Abbey sighed as she took her seat between her own three lovely, poised daughters. There were plenty of moderate, perfectly nice Republicans out there but it was the ultra conservative fanatics like Janet Ritchie, a woman who lived her life so far on the Christian right that she couldn't find her way to the middle even with a map, that gave them a bad name. Janet Ritchie didn't even really know her, but for some reason hated her with a passion simply because she didn't agree with Janet's narrow view on the way people should live their lives. 

Abbey sat back listening to the end of what Jed was saying. "You think states should do the governing wall-to-wall. That's a perfectly valid opinion. But your state of Florida got 12.6 billion in federal money last year – from Nebraskans, and Virginians, and New Yorkers, and Alaskans, with their Eskimo poetry. 12.6 out of a state budget of 50 billion, and I'm supposed to be using this time for a question, so here it is. Can we have it back, please?" 

Laughter and cheers filled the room. Abbey chanced a glance across the aisle at Janet Ritchie, flashing her a smug smile of pride, telling the other woman with that one look that she had all the confidence in the world that her husband was going to kick Janet's husband's ass. 

**** 

As they moved into the section of the debate where the candidates could question each other directly, things were going well, almost too well. The President was offering up so many strikes that Josh had starting making little cards with "K's" on them, and Rob Ritchie continued to whiff at every pitch. Toby, Josh, and CJ were nearly giddy with excitement over the President's performance. Things were going even better than they had dared hope. This was the Jed Bartlet they knew. The Jed Bartlet they wanted the world to know. He was brilliant and erudite, relaxed and humorous and he was making Ritchie look like a fool. Only Leo's stomach still held butterflies. He could see the look on Ritchie's face. The man was tired of striking out. He had nothing to lose and a man who had nothing to lose could be very dangerous indeed. 

Jed had never seen it coming. He'd been prepared for questions about his wife's medical license or for Ritchie to use his daughters to make a point, but he was not ready for Rob Ritchie to turn to him with the damning accusation that started innocently enough with a tired old topic. 

"I think the American people deserve a President who is not going to lie to them at every turn. A President with morality and integrity. That President is NOT Jed Bartlet. First we had the discovery that the President and his wife covered up the fact that he has Multiple Sclerosis…" 

"That's old news Rob," Jed scowled. 

"Maybe, but I'm just pointing it out to show that you have a pattern of covering things up. Or, do you deny that last spring when a man broke into your home in Maryland that there was another cover up? We, as Americans, were told by YOUR press secretary that you arrived at the house with the Secret Service and they were able to disarm the intruder." 

"What's your point?" 

"My POINT is that you knew the man stalking your wife was in the house with her and instead of staying safely in the White House, you demanded the agents take you with them to Maryland. Isn't it true that, despite the danger, you went into a room where a crazed man held a knife to your wife and got yourself stabbed in the process?" 

A gasp filled the room. The Bartlet staffers closed their eyes feeling the game they'd been winning by double digits getting ready to go into extra innings. Abbey stiffened and felt her daughters grip each of her hands supportively. 

Jed paused for a moment trying to keep a reign on his temper but the blue fire burning in his eyes was unmistakable as he turned to glare at Rob Ritchie. "Yes, when I found out that the man who had raped my wife, the man who had been stalking her and threatening her for months, had broken into our home where she was alone with our two youngest children YOU BET I wasn't going to be left behind at the White House. You mean to tell me that if a man was holding your wife at knife point, and your child was at risk that you would stay SAFELY hiding away at the White House?" His words were dripping with contempt. 

"Well…" Ritchie stuttered. The tables had been turned on him and this was not part of the script. He didn't know what to say. "I…I would have let the Service do their job." 

"Well, let's just hope that Mrs. Ritchie never has to count on you if she's in need." 

Soft nervous laughter filled the room. 

"But you covered it up." Ritchie sounded almost petulant. 

"Yes, I did, and with good reason. I wasn't ashamed of what I did. I was afraid members of the Secret Service were going to get into trouble. I forced them to allow me to go with them. I'm not ashamed of that. My wife and children were in danger. That piece of human waste threatened to kill my one-year-old son and he threatened to rape and kill my wife. What kind of man hides out while his family is being attacked?" 

Ritchie's face was turning red. This wasn't going how he'd planned. Things were getting turned around and he was the one who was looking bad. 

"And as far as morality goes, don't you DARE stand there and preach morality to ME," Jed went on the attack. "Does a MORAL person talk out of both sides of his mouth? Because that is what you and your wife have been doing for over a month now. You've gone on record saying how badly that you feel about the pictures my wife posed for going public and that it should have nothing to do with the campaign. If that's the case, then why is it that YOUR WIFE is the one who released them in the first place?" 

Another startled gasp filled the room, this time all eyes were on Janet Ritchie. 

"You're grasping at straws now." 

"Am I? You wanted to involve our wives. Why don't we let them come up here and debate? I'm sure Abbey's up for it." 

Laughter again filled the room and Abbey rolled her eyes. 

"Of course we aren't going to do that because none of that should make any difference in this campaign. It's mudslinging at its worst and you've been tossing it at my wife from the get-go. The negatives to those pictures were supposed to have been destroyed. They weren't. Instead, the assistant to the photographer gave them to a man that you know VERY well. David Brenner. David in turn gave them to your wife and the next thing you know they were all over the Internet. Grasping at straws? I don't think so. I think it's time that we pick this campaign up out of the gutter and start talking about something that means something to the American public, things like education and the economy, NOT the hemline of my wife's skirts." 

A huge cheer erupted in the hall and the Bartlet campaign breathed a huge sigh of relief. Their man had waded his way through the minefield without taking any major hits. He'd been left not only standing but also victorious. 

**** 

With the debate over CJ was busy overseeing the "spin" when Danny approached her. 

"I'd like to speak with the President or the First Lady," he said. 

"They aren't spinning tonight." 

"You know why I want to talk to them. That was quite a bombshell that Ritchie dropped. Did the President really get stabbed?" 

"Off the record?" 

"For now." 

"When Mrs. Bartlet broke away from Marcus Hughes, he tried to stab her in the back. The President jumped forward and took the knife in the upper arm. It required eighteen stitches. The First Lady did it herself." 

"Jesus…" Danny's eyes widened with disbelief. "Why was the President even in there?" 

"Why do you think?" CJ asked, sarcastically. "Marcus Hughes had been stalking his wife and threatening to punish her for months. He was a rapist. He'd already raped her once." 

"And he was going to try it again," Danny nodded his comprehension. 

"Yeah, he damn near succeeded. Probably would have if the President hadn't been there. He saved Abbey's life. This was personal, Danny, very personal. There's a lot you don't know. A lot that happened in the past that led to him NEEDING to be there." 

"The story is out there now, CJ. The whole thing needs to be told. Let me be the one to do it. Please." 

"I'll talk to the President and First Lady. That's the best I can do right now. It's a sensitive subject." 

"I'm a sensitive guy." 

"Well, Abbey does trust you. I'll talk to them and let you know later." 

**** 

Backstage as Abbey and Jed made their way along the hall that was bustling with the activity of spin doctors, they bumped into the Ritchies who were trying to leave as well. 

"Fancy meeting you here." Rob tried to laugh but it was very forced. He took in the steely look on Jed's face and the coolness in Abbey's eyes. "Look, no hard feelings, okay?" 

"No, there are hard feelings, Rob." Abbey said, then turned to look at Janet Ritchie. "What do you say, Janet? Jed suggested we debate. You up for it?" 

"Don't be ridiculous." 

"Didn't think so. I just need to ask you what kind of pleasure that you got from releasing those pictures of me." 

"I took pleasure in YOU having to face the embarrassment for posing so shamefully." 

"Embarrassment? Do you honestly think that I was embarrassed? Honey, I was nowhere near embarrassed. Yes, I was upset because those photos were supposed to be a very private gift for Jed but there was NOTHING shameful about them, you shriveled up old prude." 

"How DARE you speak to me that way!" Janet's face was almost purple with anger. 

"Oh, I dare, all right. I've been holding this in for a very long time, but the gloves are off now. Janet, you're nothing but a tight-assed jealous cow. You released those pictures because you've been envious of the media attention that I get right from the get-go and you could only WISH that somebody would actually WANT to look at a picture of you posing the way that I did. Who knows, maybe if you weren't such an uptight little prig, your husband would actually try to look down YOUR dress instead of looking down mine the way that he does every time we meet." She turned to Rob whose face was flushing quite nicely with guilt. "Cat got your tongue, Rob? I know YOU didn't have a problem with those pictures, did you? You finally got a better look at me." 

Abbey turned on her heels and headed for the exit with a grinning Jed following her. They left Janet Ritchie staring open-mouthed and in shock. 

"Wow, she really IS a ball of fire," said Al Stevens, Ritchie's campaign manager to Brian Williams his press secretary. "Can't blame old Rob for staring at her chest." 

"And, if rumors are to be believed," Brian said. "She even swallows." 

Coming up behind them and listening to the conversation, Leo had taken as much as he could. Instinctively defending Abbey, he pulled his arm back and punched the younger man right in the jaw. Brian fell back against the wall in shock. 

"What'd you do that for," he moaned. 

"That's the FIRST LADY you're talking about, you filthy little son of bitch!" Leo grimaced at the pain in his knuckles. "Don't you EVER talk about her that way again." 

"You're not going to get away with this. Dammit, I have to go on TV in a few minutes. How would you like me to tell Ted Koppel about the President's right hand man's temper tantrum." 

"Go right ahead and tell him, but be forewarned. Two can play that game and I'm sure it will be quite a shock for him to find out exactly what you were saying that caused me to punch you. I have a hunch most people will think that it was justified." 


	23. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"You were MAGNIFICENT in there!" Jed was ebullient as he plunked himself down in the back seat of the limo. "You actually called Janet Ritchie a tight-assed jealous cow." 

"I did, didn't I? And don't forget the uptight little prig." Abbey grinned and kicked her pumps off then leaned back against the seat. "Well, the bitch deserved it. I've been waiting for that moment for a very long time." 

"I know you have." Jed placed his hand on Abbey's knee squeezing gently. "You were very, very HOT…" 

"Jed." She gave him a sidelong glance, a shiver of anticipation running down her spine. She'd known this was coming, knew he'd be pumped up after his performance and, after that very public spank he'd given her earlier, she had been counting the moments. 

"Abbey." He gave her a boyish, sexy grin. "Do you know how turned on I am right now?" 

"Well, you better hold that thought, 'cause you're going to have to wait until we get to Air Force One." 

"Really?" He scooted closer to her, pressing his thigh into hers. "I don't think so." He reached a hand out to snake a finger into one of the small gaps between the buttons of her silk blouse. He felt her belly quiver with the touch, even as she tried to push his hand away. "You can't fool me, babe…" His lips were inches from hers. "You're just as turned on as I am." 

Abbey couldn't deny it. Watching him command the stage, decimating Rob Ritchie with the crowd cheering him on, had definitely been arousing to say the least. Still, she couldn't let him think that he had the upper hand. "You're awfully full of yourself, Mr. President." 

"Yeah, well I'm about to be full of you. I haven't quite punished you properly for cutting my tie." His lips touched hers then in a gentle caress that was anything but punishing. 

"The slap wasn't enough?" she asked against his lips. "I bet my ass still has the imprint of your hand on it." 

"Lift your skirt and I'll take a look." 

"Nice try. You're definitely a smooth one." 

"Nope, you're the smooth one." He slid his hand over her silk covered breast feeling the hard point of her nipple against his palm. Abbey felt his kiss deepen then, his tongue thrusting into her mouth just as his hands plunged into her hair. Abbey's mouth opened to his forceful demand, her tongue stroking his with fevered abandon. She felt his fingers tighten in her hair as he pressed his burgeoning erection into her thigh. Things quickly began surging out of control, and Jed began working at the buttons of her blouse, impatiently sliding his hand inside to caressing the warm soft skin of her belly before he even had it completely unbuttoned. His lips moved from hers to trail along her jaw line to her throat where he began a gentle suction. Abbey's head was thrown back against the seat, her eyes closed but when she felt Jed's hand working at the front clasp of her bra, her eyes briefly opened and for a quick moment she was gazing right back into the brown eyes of one of the Secret Service men. He'd been watching them in the rear view mirror and quickly averted his eyes when the First Lady caught him. 

"Jed," she gave a soft gasp, pushing him none too gently off of her. "The partition." 

"Huh?" Jed's slumberous blue eyes were slow to comprehend. 

"You forgot to ask them to put up the partition." Abbey pulled her blouse closed over her breasts and Jed turned to see that the divider between them and the Secret Service was definitely down. 

"Coop," he called out, his voice slightly husky. "Could you put up the partition, please." 

Without a word, the partition went up and Jed turned back to his wife to continue where he had left off, removing her hands from where she held her blouse closed. 

"Jed, I think we should…cool it." Abbey's words ended in a sigh as she felt Jed release the clasp on her bra and push the lacy cups aside. The cool air danced across her skin causing her nipples to pucker even more tightly until Jed covered them with his big warm hands. 

"Still want to cool it?" he asked, flicking this thumb repeatedly over the rigid tip. 

"We…we probably should…before this gets…out of hand…" Her voice trailed off as Jed's wet warm lips closed around her nipple then pulled as much of her breast into his mouth as he could, suckling on her so strongly she could feel it deep in her belly, her womb contracting with the pleasure he gave her. She fanned her fingers through his thick hair, holding his mouth to her breast, not that he was planning on going anywhere, but, just in case. 

While he continued to tease her nipple, his hand began sliding its way up under her skirt and up her thigh but he could only make it so far. Her skirt was tight, thwarting her efforts to part her legs for him. 

"Damn." He groaned with frustration against her breast. "I never thought I'd complain about your tight skirts, but this one's driving me INSANE." 

Abbey reached behind herself for the zipper on her skirt and with shaky hands she slid the zipper down allowing a marked improvement in range of motion. She was able to part her thighs for Jed and he was able to move his hand higher up on his sensual quest. She wanted him now. There was no turning back. He grinned against her mouth when he felt the lacy rim of her thigh high stockings and the satiny smooth skin of her inner thigh that lay beyond. No pantyhose, he thought with something akin to glee, one less impediment to his progress. 

"I think I'd like to kiss the person who invented these," he said, running his finger along the edge of the lace. 

"Kiss me instead," she sighed. "I'm the one who buys them." 

Jed complied, kissing her deeply, his fingers still playing and teasing over the satiny skin of her inner thighs Abbey was clinging to him, writhing, begging him with her body to continue even further. And still, he tormented her, wanting her breathless and begging. It didn't take long. 

"Jed…I need…I need…" 

"What do you need, babe?" 

As if he needed to ask, Abbey thought wryly. She wanted his hand between her legs so badly she thought she would scream. "Touch me… For the love of God, Jed…touch me…" 

Jed eased his hand further up until he reached the juncture of her thighs. He ran the tip of his index finger over the center of her, feeling the dampness of her silk panties. He felt her gasp and jerk at his touch and she began pressing up against him straining for more. 

"Oh, babe, you're really wet." 

"I know," she whimpered. "I want you." She reached her hand down the front of Jed's pants, pressing into bulge there. She could feel his heartbeat even through the fabric of his pants. She squeezed gently again and again until Jed felt he was going to burst right there in his pants. 

"Not yet, Abs…" he groaned. 

He had so much more he wanted to do for her first. He cupped his hand over her mound feeling the heat of her through her panties. Needing to touch her intimately, he hooked his fingers under the lacy edge to begin easing them down. Abbey lifted her hips so he could completely discard them and then his hand was back, his fingers tracing over the curls that covered her sex, delving inside the wet silky folds. He kissed her again as began running the pad of his thumb in a gentle circle around her clitoris and directly over it which caused her whole body to clench and jerk from the sensation. Jed's groin throbbed with the pain of his need and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out. He figured he better speed things along. 

His fingers moved lower circling tantalizingly around the entrance to her body until Abbey thought she would die of need. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, a soft low moan escaped her lips as she felt the warm sliding sensation of Jed's finger penetrating her. Her head fell back, her eyes closing, her teeth biting down on her lower lip as she gave herself up to the sensations that ran through her body. She writhed against him, moaning again when he introduced a second finger and his lips re-attached to her nipple suckling her with every thrust of his fingers. 

She was rocking against him now, whimpering, panting, and begging for more. He felt her muscles tensing, heard the soft strangled whimpers that always preceded her climax and he penetrated her with a third finger, his thumb pressing hard against her clitoris. Abbey cried out his name, her body arching in orgasm. Jed watched her come, feeling the fierce clenching of her body against his fingers. He left those fingers inside her, stroking her gently now, letting her come down from the high, her body still spasmodically squeezing him. Only when the last tremor was over and she was laying limply back against the seat completely spent, her chest rising and falling with the effort to catch her breath, and her eyes still closed, did he remove his fingers. 

Jed groaned softly at the wanton sight that Abbey made laying back against the seat with her blouse and bra wide open baring her breasts to the night air, her skirt shoved up under her hips and her legs still parted for him. He slid up close to her again and a soft satisfied smile crossed her face as she felt his lips pressing sweet soothing kisses along the edge of her jaw. She reached out a languid hand; her eyes still closed, and began toying with the zipper on his pants, knowing he had to be in agony right now. 

A sharp tap on the window brought them both back to their senses and they realized that the limo was no longer moving. Abbey immediately scrambled away from Jed, shoving her skirt back down. 

Taking a deep breath to hopefully sound normal, Jed opened the window just a tiny crack. He knew they were on the runway. "We're going to need a few minutes," he said. 

"No problem, sir." 

Jed turned to see Abbey shoving her breasts back into her bra and trying to work the clasp with shaking hands. He leaned forward. "Let me." He pulled the fabric closed reluctantly hooking it, then leaned down to gently kiss the top of one plump breast. 

"Jed," Abbey warned. "That's how we got started in the first place." 

Jed chuckled and began helping her to button her blouse. "Now we just have one more problem." 

Abbey followed her husband's rueful glance down at the defiant erection that was still straining against his pants. Helping her dress had done nothing for his aroused state. 

"Old Hickory giving you a hard time," she grinned, tongue in cheek. 

"You've no idea." 

Abbey shrugged apologetically watching with a soft smile as he reached for the champagne on ice that they hadn't even touched and pressed the icy bottle full up against his groin, biting back the moan of agony. 

"It's your own fault, you know," she told him as she reapplied her lipstick. 

"No, it's your fault. You got me all hot and bothered." 

"You should have known better than to start something that you couldn't finish." 

"Oh, I'm going to finish it all right, hot pants. You bet your sweet, luscious little ass I'm going to finish it." 

**** 

"What are they doing out there?" Leo asked, as he joined CJ at the window of Air Force One. 

"I don't know. The agents have been milling around the limousine for almost ten minutes, but I haven't seen the President or the First Lady." 

"Don't they know we've got a party waiting for them?" Josh asked as he joined them. 

"Knowing how the President is after a big victory like this, I'd say there's a pretty good chance they started partying without us." CJ's commentary drew laughter from the assembled crowd and Leo was thankful the Bartlet daughters were in the Presidential Suite changing. 

"Okay, okay, people that's enough." Leo tried to be stern but he knew very well that CJ was probably right. He'd been around the couple long enough to know that they were both very physical, very sexual people and when they were pumped up on an emotional high it was going to be expressed in a very physical way. 

It was another five minutes before the couple finally emerged from the limousine, the First Lady still smoothing at her wrinkled skirt as they waved to the assembled media and made their way up the steps to Air Force One. It was Leo who greeted them at the door with a deep breath and a big grin. Jed Bartlet was going to win this election and he was determined to fix their relationship. He was going to hide his pain if it killed him. 

"Took you long enough," he said, holding his hand out for Jed to shake. "What'd you guys do, fall asleep?" The sly grin on his face told both Jed and Abbey that their old friend knew exactly what they'd been up to. 

"Yeah, Leo, we fell asleep." Jed grinned back. "Another cover up in the Bartlet administration." 

"Yeah, well, if you don't watch it, you're going to blow your cover." Leo moved forward seeing the tiny scrap of silky purple material sticking out of Jed's pocket. Jed looked down a slight flush creeping along his jaw. He hadn't allowed Abbey to put her panties back on; the titillation of watching her walk around knowing she wasn't wearing underwear was too erotic an opportunity to pass up. Unfortunately, he'd almost announced it to the world by not shoving the pair further into his pocket. 

Abbey shook her head at him; she should have known better than to let him keep her underwear. With a sheepish look of apology, he placed his arm around her waist and together they entered the heart of the plane, cheers of victory ringing in their ears. 

**** 

The party was in full swing. Champagne was being consumed by the bottle and Kool and the Gang were singing about a _Celebration_ on the stereo with several Bartlet staffers slurring along with the lyrics. 

Jed had finally gotten Old Hickory under control in the limo thanks to the icy coldness of the champagne bottle. But, watching Abbey talking and laughing with groups of staffers and journalists and being completely aware of the fact that he was the only one who knew she wasn't wearing anything under that skirt kept him on the edge of another erection all evening. Of course, he'd forgotten that Leo had seen the panties in his pocket and had no idea that his friend was doing his damndest not to look at Abbey and think of all that naked flesh that was lying uncovered under her skirt. 

Abbey made her way over to another group of journalists. She could feel the lining of her skirt sliding across the bare flesh of her rear. She was completely aroused by her nakedness in the midst of this crowd of people. She caught Jed's eye, watched him deliberately put his hand in his pocket and knew he was caressing her underwear. Immediately she felt a corresponding tug between her thighs remembering how he'd stroked her in the limousine. 

She turned away from him, squeezing her legs together in an effort to ease the ache. She smiled and made polite small talk with the journalists, but the whole time all she could think about was her own state of arousal. It was a strange incredibly erotic feeling to know that nobody in that room knew about the swollen, aching need between her thighs or the promise that her husband had made her to finish things up later. 

The next time she caught Jed staring at her, his eyes heavy with the desire, she knew there was somebody who knew exactly what she was feeling. Jed knew that she was still moist and aching, knew that his hand had not been enough, knew that she wanted – no, NEEDED – to feel him inside her. 

Abbey took a last sip of her champagne and, in dire need of splashing some cool water on her face, she turned to head for the bathroom. Jed watched her leave the room, noting that she was headed to the more private bathroom in their suite. He allowed her to be gone for a few discreet moments before he excused himself and followed her out of the room. 

Abbey's face was buried in a towel when she heard the door click. She didn't need to look up to know who had followed her. 

"You didn't lock it," he said. 

"Nope." She turned to face him. 

"You wanted me to come in." 

"You think?" She placed her hand on her hip with a sexy come hither look. 

"Oh, baby, I think." In the next second he was on her, his body pressing her up against the wall harshly, his lips grinding into hers while his fingers worked at the zipper of her skirt. Abbey was working at his clothes just as inflamed as he was. She had just gotten a few buttons of his shirt undone and slipped her hands inside to caress the crinkly hair of his chest when she felt her skirt give way and slide down her legs to pool at her ankles leaving her, save for her thigh high stockings, completely naked from the waist down. 

There wasn't going to be any foreplay, they both knew that. Their whole evening had been one of foreplay and now it just came down to an explosion of need. Abbey lifted a knee up to Jed's hip pressing her groin up hard against his bulging penis. He took his cue from her, grabbing her rear and lifting her up so she could wrap both legs around his waist; all without breaking their teeth grinding kiss. 

Suddenly, Abbey pulled back, her chest heaving with exertion. "Jed…Jed…wait…" 

"Ah, Christ, Abbey, I can't," he groaned. "You're killing me here." 

Abbey cupped his face, her smile sexy, sensuous. "Don't panic, loverboy. I just want you to lock the door. 

"Oh," Jed breathed a sigh of relief. He carried her over to the door, not wanting to break the contact and when he returned he set her on the edge of the counter, pulling away for just a moment to unzip his fly and release himself. He gave a deep sigh of relief at the pleasure of finally being released from his confines. That sigh turned to a deep groan as Abbey's hand warmly circled around him, a very feminine sigh of appreciation at his marble hardness slipping from her lips. 

"You poor thing," she murmured throatily, as she began to pump him from base to tip. "You've been cooped up in there all night." 

"Be careful, Abs, it isn't going to take much tonight to set me off." 

He reached his hand out to make sure that she was prepared to take him, smiling when he found her still wet and ready from their last encounter in the limo. Abbey gave a startled gasp at the feel of his fingers probing her slick flesh. She was so overly sensitized she nearly came with just that one touch and Jed knew she was more than ready. He took himself in hand to probe her for entry. 

Abbey felt the blunt tip of him at the entrance to her body and with one quick motion he drove himself into her, hard and deep. Abbey cried out against Jed's shoulder at the quick invasion of his thick shaft. 

"You okay?" Jed bit out into her hair, restraining his need to thrust into her. 

"Oh... yeah…you feel SO good." 

With those words, Jed began to work against her hard and fast. His hands were braced against the counter on each side of Abbey's hips, while Abbey's hands were clasped around his neck, her ankles hooked around his waist. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps as she accepted the pleasure of each thick gliding thrust of his penis inside her body. It didn't take long for both of their soft moans to turn into sharp cries and deep groans as their pleasure intensified into a frenzy of thrusting, gasping pleasure. Abbey went over the edge just an instant before Jed's harsh groan filled the room and he spilled himself into her. 

"It's a good thing nobody's waiting for the bathroom," Abbey said, when they had recovered enough to part and she was pulling her skirt back up over her hips. 

"Isn't that why you picked OUR bathroom?" Jed asked. 

Abbey turned as she zipped her skirt to see her husband seated on the bathroom floor, his legs straight out in front of him, his hair hanging down over his forehead and his chest still expanding from the exertion of his lovemaking. 

"Maybe," she said coquettishly. "I guess I knew how predictable you are. I knew you'd follow me." 

"Didn't disappoint you, did I?" 

"Uh…No…" she laughed. "And you know I just thought of something. Not too many women have done what I just did." 

"You're already a member of the mile high club, hon." 

"I wasn't referring to having sex on an airplane. I was referring to the fact that I just fucked the President of the United States AND the FUTURE President of the United States." 

"Pretty confident, are you?" He grinned. 

"Honey, after watching you debate tonight, I have no doubt that this election is a foregone conclusion." 


	24. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Wearing a pair of heavy rag wool socks and faded jeans and wrapped up comfortably warm in one of Jed's oversized Notre Dame sweatshirts that fell well below her hips, Abbey made her way out to the porch of their New Hampshire arm with a steaming mug of coffee in her hand. It was a cold morning, just after dawn, and the house was still silent, her family still sleeping. She yawned sleepily and pushed her hair back off her face as she made her way to one of the comfortable wicker chairs, tucked her legs up under herself and sat down. It was so quiet right now, so peaceful. A light foggy mist hovered over the pond and blanketed the green pastures. Fallen leaves rustled on the breeze. It was the first week of November, the day before the election, and all the brilliant foliage was gone. The tree limbs were stark and bare. November was not her favorite month. It was so dark, so bleak, so gray and gloomy. It wasn't until the first coating of pristine white snow would hit the ground at the end of the month that the beauty came back to the land. 

She sipped at the quickly cooling coffee and watched a fox run across the lower pasture to stop for a drink at the pond before slinking away back into the woods and it hit her again, the butterflies. She hadn't gotten home until well past midnight after a whirlwind week of last minute campaigning around the country and by all rights she should still be snuggled in bed. Instead, she was out here on the porch waiting for her children to awaken and for chaos to arrive in the form of her husband and his entourage. It all came down to this. A year of campaigning, all down to one day where the entire country would make their choice of who they wanted to lead them for the next four years. 

There was hardly the drama of four years ago when her husband had been the dark horse, the challenger, and polls had shown a neck and neck race. Since the debate, Jed had steadily shown a big lead over most of the electoral map and even more so in the popular vote. Everything the Ritchies had tried to do had backfired on them. Releasing the personal pictures of her had only made her more sympathetic to people not inclined to feel sympathy for her, and more popular with male voters of all ages. Bringing up the attack and the events that had transpired at Harmony Point with Marcus Hughes had made Jed a hero to women all over America and had helped make him a more palatable candidate for a certain part of the Republican male population who, in the past, had viewed him as a liberal policy wonk, not a man's man. 

Now it was down to one day. One day until she would find out if she would spend the next four years in the limelight of the White House or the relative privacy of this farm, not that she would ever regain the anonymity she had enjoyed before her husband had been elected President. She knew what her preference would be. If it were up to her she would be back living here at the farm, riding her horse every morning, working part time at her practice, and raising her two young children away from the scrutiny of the press. But, as much as she would prefer that, it was not what she was hoping for. She was hoping with every fiber of her being that her husband would win this election because she knew what it would do to him if he lost. All of his life he had been striving for affirmation that he was a good person, a good leader, and if the country turned away from him now, it would devastate him. It would prove his father right; that once people got to know him they would find him lacking somehow. Jed needed to win this election more than she needed to be home. This was his dream and it certainly wasn't going to kill her to live that dream with him for four more years. It was only four years, and then she could come home. 

**** 

By the time Jed arrived at the farm later in the afternoon, he found his family down by the south pasture watching Benny burn the piles of leaves that had been raked up – a job that used to be his. He grinned as he watched Abbey holding on to the hoods of each child's windbreaker to restrain them from getting too close to the bonfire. He inhaled the wood smoke deeply and made his way down to the pasture where they were all so absorbed they had never noticed his motorcade arrive. It was Max who noticed him first; the big dog ambling away from the family to greet him. The excited barks drew Abbey's and Nicky's attention; however, Aislinn was too busy sitting on the grass trying to button her doll's jacket to notice him right away. 

Nicholas began toddling toward him and Jed grinned at the sight of him. There was a beaming, dimpled smile on his face, grass stains on his knees, a little gray soot on his cheeks from the fire and his nose was slightly running. In short, he looked like any other typical little boy, not a President's son raised in the rarefied atmosphere of the White House. And, when he picked his son up, he caught the scent of little boy – a combination of bubble gum bubble bath, baby shampoo, sun, smoke, grass, and toddler sweat. It was the smell of Nicholas, his son, and he would recognize it anywhere, just as he would recognize the scent of the boy's mother, a more feminine flowery scent that never failed to make his senses reel. He inhaled it now as Abbey leaned in for a kiss. 

"You're home," she smiled, running a hand over his cheek. 

"Yeah." 

She glanced up at the motorcade of cars that filled their driveway. "Any plans for this afternoon?" 

"Just one." He gazed away from her, down across the pond. Abbey's eyes followed his. 

"You're going to the cemetery?" It had been his first visit after the last election. 

Jed nodded and bent to pick up Aislinn who was now tugging on his leg for attention. 

"You want to go alone or would you like some company this time?" 

Jed thought about it for a moment. He usually visited his father's grave on his own. "I guess I could use some company this time." 

He saw the smile of surprise cross his wife's lips and regret tugged at his heart. So many times he had shut her out of his feelings for his father. Not that she was ever really in the dark. She knew everything, every last detail, every hit, every insult, every painful moment of his childhood. However, once told, it was not something that he dwelled on, not something he could discuss at length as much as she might have wanted to. A part of him would always be ashamed, always want her to have the illusion of the strong man he had become, not the weak child that he was. 

"Well okay then." Abbey said carefully, trying not to make a big deal out of it. "Let's bring the kids back to the house and we'll go." 

**** 

Jed held Abbey's hand as they walked slowly along the grassy edge of the pond. The sun that had burned off the early morning fog now warmed their backs as they quietly took in the beauty of their farm – took in the black and white cows covering the hills of the lower pasture across the pond and the lines of rock walls that divided the property and ran along the edges of the woods. They paused at one point holding their breath as they watched a large bull moose come slowly crashing out of the woods. The huge animal walked slowly into the pond dunking his magnificent rack under the water to come up with a mouthful of vegetation that he proceeded to munch with seeming unconcern – the king of his domain. Animals were safe here and they knew it. Their property had always been marked with "No Hunting" signs and the pond had always been a favorite watering hole for the local wildlife. 

"As much as I'd like to stand here all day with you, we really should get going. Your mother is coming over for supper tonight." 

"You didn't tell me that." 

"She just called this morning. She wants to see you before the election." 

"I owe her a little talk. I need to thank her for coming here to be with you when I asked her." 

"Before you do, there's something you need to know." She turned to him taking both of his hands in hers. "I wanted so many times to talk to you about this but with the campaign the timing was always off. This was too important for quick little 'by the way'." 

"What? She's not sick, is she?" 

"No, it's nothing like that. It's just…oh, God…how do I say this?" 

"Just tell me. What is it?" 

"She never knew, Jed." 

"Never knew what?" He was clearly puzzled by the importance of his wife was placing on these words. 

"She never knew that your father beat you." 

Jed tried to break away from her hands but Abbey held tight. She wasn't going to let him turn away from her. 

"Jed, please, don't close off from me," Abbey pleaded. 

"I'm not. I just don't know what to say. You TALKED about this with her? How on earth did the subject even come up?" 

"I was angry with her. She was talking about how different you were from your father. How much she loved your warmth and the sweetness inside of you; and I got so pissed I just sort of blurted out the question that if she loved that part of you, how could she let her husband try to beat it out of you." 

"Jesus," Jed sighed. All of his life this had been a taboo subject with his parents. Only Abbey and Jon knew everything, even Leo didn't know the extent of the abuse. 

"In a way I'm sorry, Jed, but in another way, I'm not. There has been far too much silence on this subject in your family. Can't you see? It's like a cancer sitting in there eating away at you. For fifty years, half a century, Jed, this has been festering inside of you." She cupped his face in her hands staring deeply into the pain ravaged blue eyes of her husband. "Baby, the time is way overdue for you to purge yourself of this. It should never have been your burden…your shame, NEVER." 

Jed nodded tears welling in his eyes. "She really never knew?" 

Abbey shook her head negatively and reached a finger up to wipe a tear from her cheek. "She knew he was hard on you – knew he hit you to punish you, but she didn't know that he beat you." 

Jed nodded and tried to turn away again. This time Abbey let him. Jed looked up at the sky. He watched a hawk circle overhead with all the freedom in the world. That was how he felt at this moment, a sense of freedom from all the questions he'd had about his past. 

Abbey watched his shoulders shudder as he tried to restrain his emotion and she moved to him wrapping her arms around his waist from behind as she pressed her cheek into his back. 

"You okay?" she asked softly. 

"Yeah. Somehow this makes it all easier. I always wondered if she knew what he did and if she did know, how she could let him do that to me." 

"Me too…You were just a little boy." She turned him back around and looking into the incredibly handsome face of the man before her, she could see the little boy he had been. She saw him every day when she looked into her son's earnest, sweet little face, and to think of anyone trying to destroy that child damn near broke her heart. 

Jed saw the tears well up in her eyes, watched them begin to spill down her cheeks. "Abbey, sweetheart, don't cry…Please…It's over. It's finished." He tried to pull her tight against his chest but she was having nothing of that. She held herself back still looking him in the eye. 

"No, it isn't, Jed. Not for you. Don't you see? You carry that pain around with you every day. It's a part of who you are." 

"Well, maybe I can start to let some of that go now." 

"I hope you can, Jed. I really hope you can. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get all maudlin on you. We aren't even at the cemetery yet." She wiped her cheeks with her palms and Jed took her damp hand back in his so they could continue on their way. 

"There is another interesting tidbit that you might want to know about your parents' marriage." Her voice was brighter now, a teasing lilt to it rather than sadness. 

"Really? That must have been quite a visit you two had." 

"It was very…shall we say…. Enlightening." 

"So, tell me. What is this gossip that you have about my parents' marriage?" 

"Your parents didn't have sex for the last EIGHTEEN years of their marriage." 

"Oh, Abbey," Jed grimaced… "Oh, that's just GROSS. I don't want to know about my parents' SEX LIFE." 

"Or lack thereof," Abbey grinned. "You sound just like the girls when they find us making out on the couch or with our bedroom door locked." 

"That's different," he argued. "That's US, we're lovers." 

"It's not so different. We may be lovers but we're also their parents. So, do you want to know WHY they didn't have sex for eighteen years?" 

"I suppose you're going to tell me," he cringed. 

"Because your mother went through the change. She moved into a separate bedroom after menopause because a good Catholic woman is only suppose to have sex to procreate and once that ability is over there is no longer any need to continue on with her wifely duties." 

"Are you serious?" Jed's eyes were wide. 

"As a heart attack." 

"My MOTHER said that to you." 

"Almost verbatim. So, who knows how much longer I'll be forced to put up with these heinous wifely duties? I mean it's been SUCH a CHORE all these years putting up with…" Abbey giggled as Jed pinched her rear sharply. 

"Wifely duties, my ass," he grumbled. "I seem to recall plenty of times my insatiable wife enticed me into performing my husbandly duties and if you even so much as had a thought of turning me out of our bed after menopause…" 

Abbey began to giggle then. "It's a good thing I'm not always a good Catholic wife then, isn't it?" 

"Sometimes there is such a thing as being too literal." 

"Eighteen years, Jed. I can't even imagine. I think I'd go crazy not having you touch me or make love to me or not even having your warm body laying next to me in bed. I don't know how she could stand losing that closeness and intimacy." 

"Probably because she never had it. You knew my parents. Okay, this is the last time I'm going to say anything on the subject because it's making me a little ill… but, honestly could you even picture what sex would have been like for them?" 

Abbey could. They were not her parents, so it was easier for her to objectively dissect them. Knowing John and Emily, there had been no teasing or laughing or experimenting with positions or various forms of sex. There would have been none of the joy or body worshipping that she and Jed experienced in their marital bed. Sex would have been purely business. Emily fulfilling her wifely duty; John releasing a need. 

"Okay, I can see that you're picturing my parents in bed and it's grossing me out so let's move away from the subject." 

Abbey laughed and laid her head against Jed's shoulder. "Well, one thing you should know. I've read up on the subject a bit and I've heard that sex is even better for women AFTER menopause." 

Jed stopped then and looked down into the twinkling glint in his wife's green eyes. "Well, then I'll look forward to finding out." 


	25. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Finally, Abbey and Jed reached the private Bartlet family cemetery. They had been there many times before and both knew the names on the headstones as well as they knew their own family members. Jed went first to the oldest headstone, that of the first Josiah Bartlett. The story of his famous ancestor was as ingrained into him as _Goodnight Moon_ was to his youngest children. He took pride in the fact that Josiah was a self made man. Josiah's ancestors had come to North America from England and had settled near Beverly, Mass., just a town over from Salem where Abbey's ancestors had settled. He often wondered if Josiah Bartlett had known Abbey's infamous privateering ancestor, Thomas Weathergill, and if he had what the two would think of their descendents hooking up two hundred years later. Without any formal education Josiah had, at sixteen, begun five years of studying medicine under a doctor in Amesbury, Mass., then moved to New Hampshire to set up his practice – a fact that his wife with her years of undergraduate work, medical school, internship and residency was incredibly envious of. By 1765 Josiah, without family or party connections, had risen in society and was a leader in the community. He had been elected to the legislature of the province of New Hampshire where he promptly began to oppose the royal governor. It was because of this that Josiah was chosen, along with John Pickering of Portsmouth to represent New Hampshire at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. He had been the first delegate to speak in favor of the Declaration of Independence and the second to sign it after John Hancock. With the war over and the United States a fledgling new nation, he later became Governor of the newly named state of New Hampshire. What Jed was truly proud of, however, was the character of the man who had not only founded a nation, but the entire Bartlett family. Josiah Bartlett had been a devoted husband and father to his wife Mary and their brood of children. He was known to have a quick penetrating mind and to make sound decisions and last, but not least, he had been a true patriot who had sacrificed much for his country. 

"He'd be really proud of you," Abbey said, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder. "From what I know about the intelligence, the decency, and the character of Josiah Bartlett, I'd have to say that you have a lot of him in your blood." 

"I felt him." 

"Now?" 

"No, when I took the oath of office four years ago. When I promised to protect and defend the nation that he helped to create. It was like an invisible thread linking us together over the centuries." 

"I wonder if he ever could have imagined that his great whatever grandson would be elected President of the United States and that he was about to be elected again." 

"I don't know if he did or not, but I know someone who did." Jed stopped at the grave of his grandfather, another Josiah Bartlet. "Grandpa Josiah always said I'd do something big with my life. I just wish he could have lived to see it." 

"He sees it, Jed. I can picture him up there in heaven with your grandmother Eleanor busting with pride and yet still grumbling away over the fact that you turned out to be a damned Democrat." 

"He hated that, didn't he?" Jed laughed. 

"You're grandparents were great people." Abbey would always be eternally grateful for the safe haven that Josiah and Eleanor Bartlet had given Jed at their farm, this farm, and that they had given him a sense of love and self worth that had been missing in his own home. 

"They really were. I miss them terribly." 

Abbey moved along to the next headstone, the most conflicted of them all – Jed's father. It was easier for her to hate the man than it was for Jed. It had been so hard for all the years that they'd been married to keep how she felt about him inside. It didn't matter that John had come to respect her. She still hated him for how he had hurt the man that she loved above all others. She stood there quietly staring at the name on the headstone – John Daniel Bartlet 1926-1996 – and she was able to conjure him up in her mind, as if he still stood right in front of her – silver haired, stern, austere, his cold blue eyes challenging and condemning at the same time. They were Jed's eyes and yet not Jed's eyes. John's eyes had never held the warmth of his son's, never twinkled with teasing mirth as his son's did. 

She'd never forget the night that Jed had finally opened his soul to her and she had found out just what kind of a bastard John Bartlet really was. Up until that moment she had just assumed he was stuffy, dour, cold fish. He hadn't been so different from a lot of the men in her grandparents' circle of Brahmin friends, at least that had been her assumption until New Years Eve 1973. She and Jed were home for Christmas break and Jed had invited her over for New Year's weekend. She had met his parents before and didn't relish spending an entire weekend with them but if it meant spending time with Jed, she would put up with pretty much anything. After a spending the summer apart, they had come back together at Notre Dame and had spent the past four months practically joined at the hip. They were inseparable, head over heels in love, and now Abbey was ready to take their relationship one step further. When they had first started dating, she had told Jed that she wanted to wait to have sex until she got married, and, like the good Catholic boy that he was, Jed had accepted that. But, lately it was getting harder and harder for them to stop. They had come so close to actually going all the way that Abbey knew sleeping with Jed was inevitable. She wanted him as she had never wanted a man before. Her dreams had suddenly become terribly erotic; she pictured Jed doing deliciously wicked things to her, things that made her blush when she woke up to a throbbing unsatiated body. She knew Jed wasn't having it any easier, she'd come to know his erection very well and she knew that it physically hurt him to stop; yet he never pressured her. She often thought of Ron calling her a cocktease and she wondered if that was what she was doing to Jed. She wanted to make love with Jed. She loved Jed and there was no way that could be wrong. She'd even talked to her mother about going on the Pill when Beth had expressed concern over the intensity of her relationship with Jed and had gone as far as to set up an appointment with her gynecologist. But, that had seemed a moot point when she'd gotten word that she'd been accepted to a semester at Johns Hopkins and she and Jed would be separated for four months. She'd cancelled the appointment. Now she wished that she hadn't, because Jed was telling his parents that they weren't going to the New Year's Eve party with them after all. They were going to stay home and watch Dick Clark and that meant they were going to be home alone all evening long. A shiver of anticipation ran up her spine and a feeling of tingling warmth spread through her groin. Just a few hours later, she'd heard the raised voices coming from John's study as she walked down the hall. It was her first glimpse into the temper that simmered beneath John Bartlet's cool surface. 

"You two are going to the party whether you like it or not." 

"No, we're not, Dad. I'm twenty-two years old. More than old enough to make decisions on my own." 

The sound of a slap resounded loudly causing Abbey to gasp. When she opened the door, she was stunned to see John holding Jed pinned to the couch by his collar. 

"You are NOT going to stay home with your hand up your girlfriend's skirt. I WILL NOT have that going on in my house." 

Abbey was horrified. John Bartlet was talking about her like she was some kind of slut. 

"Take your hands off me." Jed's icy cold tone clearly took his father aback. John simply stared at him. "I said, take your hands off of me." Jed yanked himself loose. "Don't you EVER talk about the woman that I love as if she's some kind of whore. AND, don't you EVER hit me again. I'm not a child anymore. You hit me again and I might just hit back." 

Shocked by the exchange, Abbey stepped back out of the room before Jed could see her. 

There had been no more talk of Jed and Abbey attending the New Year's Eve party. Instead, Jed had made her dinner that evening. Nothing fancy, a bottle of wine, spaghetti and meatballs with a sauce the housekeeper had made for him and they ate it at a romantic candlelit table set in front of the fireplace. They'd never really dined alone like this before. It was seduction pure and simple. Jed had put one of his mother's Frank Sinatra albums on the turn style and for the first time Abbey truly felt like a woman, not a teenager. 

Abbey was quiet during dinner, often looking up to see the slight bruise on Jed's temple where his father had struck him, waiting for him to tell her about the altercation. That he didn't tell her about it and seemed unfazed by it spoke volumes. She wondered how many other times that this had happened and he hadn't told her. 

They took care of the dishes together then returned to sit snuggled up on the couch in front of the fireplace. Sinatra had given way to Dean Martin and, finally, Abbey couldn't bear it anymore. She reached a gentle hand up pushing the hair back off his forehead and lightly traced the bruise at his temple. 

"What happened here?" she asked. 

"Oh…uh…nothing. I just bumped into the wall. You know me." 

"I thought I did," Abbey said sadly. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"I didn't think you lied to me or kept secrets from me." 

"I don't." 

"Don't you? Jed, I heard the fight you had with your father. I know that I shouldn't have been eavesdropping but I heard him hit you." 

"You're right," he said, angrily brushing her hand away. "It isn't polite to eavesdrop." 

"I heard what he said about me and I heard you threaten to hit him back the next time he hit you." Abbey swallowed knowing she was treading on dangerous territory here. "It wasn't the first time that he hit you, was it?" 

"Of course not. 'Spare the rod, spoil the child' is my father's motto." Jed tried for bravado. 

"I don't mean spankings, Jed. I've known for some time that something isn't right here. You never want to come home on break. You hate to talk about your family. What is it that you're hiding?" 

"Oh, so now you're majoring in psychology?" He was lashing out at her because he was terrified – terrified that for the first time ever he was going to spill the beans about his miserable childhood. 

Abbey refused to be put off by his angry words; she could see the pain in his eyes and knew she was close to breaking through. "No, I'm majoring in you, Jed. We can't have any kind of a relationship with all these secrets." 

"What do you WANT from me?" He broke away from her and made his way to the fireplace, placing his hands on the mantle and bending his head. 

"The truth. I want to know everything there is to know about Jed Bartlet." She came up beside him, ran a hand in soothing circles over his back. "Tell me, Jed." 

He'd been in denial for so long, unable to tell a soul, stoically ignoring everything that happened to him that he wasn't sure he could get the words out. He looked down at Abbey then tears swimming in his eyes. "I…I want to, Abbey. But, I…I can't." 

"Yes, you can, Jed. I love you." 

"I know. That's the problem." 

"How could loving somebody be a problem?" 

"Because I don't want you to stop loving me. I couldn't stand that." The pain he was in was overwhelming. It was almost more than Abbey could bear. She wasn't sure if she was as prepared for this as she thought she was. 

"I'll never stop loving you, Jed." She cupped his face in her hands. "There's nothing that you could say to me that would make me stop loving you. Tell me, baby…please." 

And he did. He couldn't look at Abbey while he told her; instead he gazed deeply into the dancing flames in the fireplace, but, to his credit, he left nothing out. He started his explanation – his confession, so to speak – with the humiliation of a four year old who had wet the bed and been spanked and left to sleep cold and shivering in urine soaked sheets for his transgression. 

"Only animals soil themselves, Jed, so you can sleep like an animal tonight in your own filth." 

He'd gone on to the little boy, who, at five years of age brought his mother a grubby handful of wildflowers only to have them laughed at and discarded by his father before he could even show them to her; and the wide eyed innocent eight year old who had snuck downstairs with his brother to get a glimpse of Santa on Christmas Eve only to get kicked in the rear and sent sprawling across the floor because he was supposed to be in bed. 

He continued on into his teen years when his enraged father had struck him so hard across the torso with his golf club that he'd broken a rib. Jed had been a gangly thirteen at the time. His offence – telling his father that he couldn't take two mulligans for the same hole. 

On and on it went, from the childhood smacks across the face because 'Bartlets don't cry', to the insults and putdowns of adolescence, and finally to the out and out beatings as he became a teenager, all told in a stoic voice as if Jed were talking about somebody else, not himself. 

When he finally finished and got up the courage to turn from the fire to look at Abbey, there were tears streaming unchecked down her face. He was stunned. Nobody had ever cried for him before. 

"Why?" she asked him. "Why didn't you ever tell me this before?" 

"I never wanted you to know. I felt like it was all my fault. I was so ashamed, Abbey. So ashamed…" 

Abbey knew in that moment that he had never shared any of this pain with anyone else. She felt incredibly privileged and an incredible sense of responsibility. But, even more than that, she felt a love stronger than she had ever known before. She opened her arms to Jed, tucked his head against her breasts and continued to cry for him, for the little boy that he had been. She cried for him as he could not cry for himself. Through the entire history of his childhood, he had not shed a tear; it was only the words that Abbey whispered over and over and over into his hair that caused his eyes to swim with emotion and a lump to form in his throat. 

"I love you, Jed, IloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyou…" 

"Don't cry, Abbey…please don't cry…I'm okay, really…" 

Abbey sniffed and smiled through her tears. "We're a pair, aren't we? Here I am crying for you and you're the one trying to comfort me." 

"I've lived with it for a long time." He ran his thumbs over her cheeks to wipe her tears away. "It's all fresh and new to you." 

"I think you're so amazing, Jed. You have to know that. To come through that kind of childhood and still be the kind, loving man that you are is a miracle. It's a testament to your strength." 

"I always felt weak." 

"No, a weak person would have succumbed. You're the strongest person I know." It was the right thing to say, for in the next instant as Dean Martin gave way to Johnny Mathis, Jed was kissing her – deeply, passionately, the way that he did when they were getting toward the end of one of their necking sessions. She felt his tongue slide between her lips tickling the roof of her mouth. She'd never enjoyed French kissing the way that she did with Jed. It didn't take him long to get hard. It never did. Abbey felt him pull his hips away from her so she couldn't feel his erection. This time she didn't let him go. She grabbed his hips pulling him against her, rubbing herself against him. Jed groaned; he knew it was going to kill him when Abbey pulled the plug on this session. He wanted her so badly he was amazed he wasn't coming in his pants. Over the past month he'd been too embarrassed to tell her that his need for her had grown so strong he'd actually had a couple of wet dreams, something he hadn't experienced since puberty and he was spending more time in the shower than he ever had in his life. He didn't know how much longer he could stand kissing Abbey and touching her and not being able to make love to her. 

Still, even knowing how much it would hurt when she made him stop, his hand moved up to cup and knead her breast. When she didn't immediately push it away, his fingers began working the buttons on her blouse. And, when his hand slipped inside to close over the warm soft mound still covered by her bra, somewhere deep inside Abbey knew. Tonight was the night she was going to make love with Jed. This moment had been inevitable from the first moment they'd laid eyes on one another and sparks had flown. Still, she had to be responsible before things got out of hand. She had cancelled that doctor's visit; she wasn't on the Pill. 

"Jed…" She pushed him away gently. 

Oh God, he was going to die, Jed thought, the pain in his throbbing groin nearly unbearable. He leaned back trying to catch his breath, trying to recapture a measure of sanity when all he wanted to do was lie Abbey back on the floor and drive himself into her. 

"It's okay," he finally bit out. "We'll stop…" 

"I don't want to stop this time." She looked him straight in the eye to let him know that she meant business. "I want you to make love to me. I want it more than you can know. But, we need…we don't have any…you know…rubbers." 

Panting heavily, unable to believe what Abbey had just proposed, Jed blushed and gave her a sheepish grin as he pulled his wallet out of this back pocket. "Yeah, we do…I bought 'em in Boston where nobody would know me." He pulled out a foil package and dangled it front of her. 

"Did you know this was going to happen?" she asked, taking the package from him and opening it to peer inside. She'd never seen a condom before. 

"Tonight? No. Eventually, yes. We can't keep our hands off each other, Abbey. I knew it would happen sooner or later. I figured I'd better be prepared." 

"My handsome, sexy, Boy Scout," she smiled seductively. 

"That's me, always prepared." He reached a finger out tracing it around her right nipple, feeling it harden underneath her lacy bra. Abbey could feel the ache between her legs, could feel the moisture pooling there. 

The condom fell to the floor beneath them as Jed's lips covered hers again and she finished working the buttons of his shirt then sat back from him to push it off his shoulders. She swallowed tightly at the sight of his torso. Wiry and lean, he was absolutely beautiful. His chest was covered with a light smattering of crisp tawny hair that tapered down over his flat tanned abdomen into a straight line over his lower belly then disappeared into his pants, into the one part of his body she'd felt pressed against her almost on a nightly basis but had never seen. She ran her finger down over that line and began working his belt, her fingers itching to slip inside and see just what the arrow pointed to. They were both so concentrated on touching each other, on undressing each other, that they never heard the door open, never saw the look on Emily Bartlet's face as she saw her son and his girlfriend both kneeling topless in front of the fireplace. Abbey's fingers were on Jed's belt while his were on her breasts; their lips locked in a fiery kiss. But, while they may not have seen the look they did hear the outraged gasp. 

Instinctively, Jed shoved Abbey behind him to shield her from his parents' eyes just as John hit the switch filling the room with bright light. 

"Josiah…Abigail, WHAT on earth is going on here?!" Emily was clearly traumatized and aghast. 

"Mother!" Jed's face was red with embarrassment. "What are you doing home?" 

"If you hadn't been so wrapped up in…in….in this HANKY PANKY, you might have noticed there's a bit of a nor'easter blowing out there. We had to turn around and come home and not a BIT too soon I can see." 

"Mother, please. Could you please leave for a few minutes and give Abbey and me some privacy so we can get dressed?" 

Still mortified to her core and sputtering away, Emily left the room. John did not. Like a snake waiting to strike, he silently moved closer to the couple yanking the needle off _Chances Are_ and sending the room into silence. 

"Dad, please. Abbey's half-naked here. You're embarrassing her." 

"I'm aware of that. You two should have thought of that before you started messing around in MY home." 

"It's not your home," Jed stated defiantly. 

"What did you just say to me?" John's tone was positively frigid and Abbey was quite certain that if she weren't present he would have physically struck Jed. 

"I said this isn't your home. It's still Grandpa's and Grandma's. Just because they're in the Bahamas doesn't make it yours." 

His father was furious. Jed could see that. Normally, that would have sent a frission of fear through him. Not anymore. He'd already warned the man what would happen if he got physical again. He was younger and stronger than his father was. He had nothing to fear anymore. 

"Touché, Jed. But I'm sure your grandparents wouldn't be thrilled to hear that you were having sex in their living room. What happened to all those Catholic virtues you're always spouting off about? I might not be a Catholic, but I think I know the church still has an issue with premarital sex." 

Abbey wanted to tell him to shove it up his ass. She wanted to tell him that she and Jed had never done this before – that this was to be their first time. But, she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. She knew John Bartlet now. She knew that he was a bully who would love nothing more than to see her stuttering and cowed, shaking at the wrath of his condemnation. Well, she wasn't going to give him that. She wasn't ashamed of what she felt for Jed and she'd be damned if his father was going to make her feel that way. Let him think that she and Jed had been screwing each other's brains out all semester. She didn't care anymore. 

Instead of quaking beneath his censorious eyes, Abbey defiantly stepped out from behind Jed's protective shield and grabbed her blouse. She looked John Bartlet straight in the eye as she slid the blouse over her shoulders and began slowly buttoning it over her breasts fighting to keep her hands from shaking with the mortification she felt at standing before her boyfriend's father in just her bra and a pair of hip huggers. Her parents would have been upset to come home and find her and Jed the way his parents had, but she knew that they never would have embarrassed and humiliated them simply for the pleasure of having that power. With her blouse finally buttoned, Abbey turned to Jed. 

"I think I'm going to turn in, sweetheart." Then, for John's benefit she leaned over and kissed Jed lightly on the lips. "I love you." 

"I love you, too. I'm so sorry about all this." 

"Not your fault." She turned back to glare at John. 

John had to give her credit; she was no simpering weakling, this one. Abigail O'Neill had backbone and spunk; just how his son had found and caught her was a mystery to him. 

Then, just as Abbey and Jed hit the doorway John noticed the foil package on the floor. It was opened but not used. "Just a minute you two. You forgot something." He held the condom out in front of them as he might wave a treat in front of a dog. "You might want this for future use. After all we don't want any Bartlet bastards running around, do we?" 

Before Jed could say a word, Abbey grabbed the condom and shoved it into her pocket. "I think ONE Bartlet bastard is more than enough, don't you?" 

"Abbey –" 

"Hmmm…" Abbey quickly came back to the present to see her husband kneeling at his father's grave and looking up at her expectantly. 

"Where were you?" 

"New Years Eve 1973." 

Jed nodded. That night had been a turning point in their relationship and in his relationship with his father. "Mrs. Landingham was right. My father WAS a prick." 

"Yes, he was." 

Abbey and Jed both turned at the imperious tone of Emily Bartlet. 


	26. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"Mother, what are you doing here?" Jed was clearly stunned. Never once had he ever heard his mother refer to her husband in any derogatory way, never mind the term that he'd just used. 

"I was told you were out here and one of your kind agents offered to bring me over." She turned to wave at the Secret Service agent who had his golf cart parked at the edge of the cemetery. "I knew why you were out here." 

"You did?" 

"You came to talk to your father, to tell him that you're going to be re-elected. You don't owe him anything, Josiah. Not one damn thing." 

Jed's eyes were wide. His mother had never talked to him like this. They didn't discuss his father, EVER. 

"I didn't come out here because I felt like I owed him. I came out here to rub his nose in it. He never thought I was good enough. He never thought that I was big enough or quick enough or smart enough or strong enough, but you know, I got the last laugh, didn't I? His hatred didn't destroy me, it just made me more determined, and, you know what? Tomorrow I'm going to be elected to a second term as a DEMOCRATIC President of the United States." Jed turned from his mother looking up at the sky. "You hear that, you old bastard!" He shouted up to the heavens. "I'm getting re-elected tomorrow and there isn't damn thing you can do about it. Still think I'm nothing? Still think I'm worthless? Still want to beat the shit out of me?" 

Tears stinging her eyes, Abbey moved forward to touch his arm. All these years later and the little boy in Jed was still crying out to his father, still crying out for his love, for his approval. "Jed, he's dead. He doesn't matter anymore." 

"Your father never thought you were worthless, Josiah." Emily moved forward to touch her son awkwardly on the shoulder. "He was, at best, a difficult man. He was jealous of you. He was eaten away by that jealousy. In the end, it destroyed anything good and decent inside of him." 

"Why the hell did you ever marry him, Mother?" 

"The father that you knew was not always the man he had been. At one time he was a young man with hopes and ambition. That was the man that I met and fell in love with. I wasn't always your mother, Josiah. Once I was a young girl, a young girl who never really fit in with my family. You know what they were like. Such a loud, boisterous, Irish Catholic clan. I was quiet and reserved; I liked to spend my afternoons reading. They never really understood me. And, there were so many of us, it was like we were living on top of each other. I was just a girl, only eighteen years old, when I went up to Wolfeboro to waitress at my Aunt Brenna's restaurant for the summer and even though I would be working, I was thrilled to get away. I wasn't going to college; this was to be my adventure. Your father was one of the "summer people"; he was staying at his maternal grandparent's home on the lake and when he walked into that coffee shop as handsome as could be in his Dartmouth T-shirt and khakis my heart skipped a beat. Your father was everything that I thought I wanted in a husband. He was as different from the emotional, volatile men in my family as night and day. He was calm and confident and he was a gentleman. He was old money and big houses. I didn't realize then that what I took for still waters running deep was, in actuality, still waters covering an ice-cold heart. Your father had spent his life competing with your Uncle Ted and your Uncle Stephen for your grandfather's approval and he always came up lacking. It made him bitter. But I didn't know any of that until after I married him." 

"And you couldn't divorce him," Jed stated bitterly. 

"No, I couldn't, and I didn't want to. I may not have gotten what I'd expected in my husband, but the other benefits compensated for it. I was a Bartlet. I was a real lady and I tried so hard to fit in. Too hard I guess. You don't know what it was like for me knowing that everyone knew that John married beneath him, knowing that they looked down on me, that they were waiting for me to make a mistake. I suppose I lost a part of myself trying to become a Bartlet." 

"So, you sacrificed love for a big house and parties at the governor's mansion." 

"I guess I did, and respectability, and, of course, you." 

"Me?" 

"You and your brother. I'll admit, I was never all that maternal. I'd had to help raise six younger brothers and sisters. I didn't long to play mommy the way that Abbey did." She glanced at her daughter-in-law remembering Abbey's excitement and wonder over her first pregnancy and each one after. "But I was happy to be fulfilling my duty. I was doing what a good Bartlet wife was supposed to do, giving my husband sons to be proud of." 

"Huh," Jed snorted. "Too bad he never was." 

"It's pretty hard to be proud of someone that you're jealous of. I may not have been ga-ga over having a baby, but once you were born I loved you so much. Your father was jealous of that love; he made me feel foolish and common for spending as much time as I did with you, so I acquiesced. I turned your care over to Mrs. Hopkins and threw myself into being the perfect headmaster's wife. You aren't the only one who had to live up to impossible standards, Josiah. I was never good enough for your father. He married a poor Irish girl to spite his father and he never let me forget that's all that I was. But I did try to do right by you. I could see how your father felt about you; how upset he was over the attention that you got from your grandfather Josiah, so I tried to keep my distance. The more that I praised you, the angrier your father got with you, so I stopped praising you. But, I wasn't a horrible mother. I tucked you in every night that I could." 

"Yes, with prayers. You gave me the joy of my faith, Mother, and I'll always thank you for that, but I wanted more. I NEEDED more." 

"What more could I have done?" 

"You could have kissed me good night and told me you loved me. I don't remember one time when you told me that you loved me." 

"Of course I loved you." Even now the words were hard for Emily. "You should have known that." 

"Why? Why should I have known? You never told me how you felt. You never once spontaneously pulled me into your arms, kissed my head and told me you loved me." Jed's eyes held Abbey's for a long moment. He'd watched Abbey do just that with Nicholas not two hours before. "I was lucky if I got a quick peck on the cheek on Christmas Eve." 

"Things were different, Josiah. People weren't all lovey-dovey the way that they are now." 

"Maybe not, but something is wrong when the first time you hear the words 'I love you' you're twenty-one years old and it's your girlfriend saying it." He reached out his hand to take Abbey's, felt the support in the strength of her squeeze. 

"Okay, maybe I was wrong. I've never been good at showing or expressing my emotions. When I told your father I loved him, he laughed at me as if I was a child. I couldn't bear that happening again." 

"I never would have laughed at you, Mother." Jed's solemn eyes settled on her. "Never." 

Emily felt tears burn in her eyes. Tears for the lost years of her son's childhood, tears for all she had missed in trying to be the perfect Bartlet. "I want you to know that whatever shortcomings you think I have as a mother…I swear to you on the Holy Bible that I never knew your father beat you." She reached her hand out to grasp Jed's arm. 

The tears that filled Emily's eyes fascinated Jed. Only once in his life had he seen her cry and that was when JFK was assassinated, not when her husband died. 

"You never had any idea?" 

"I knew he slapped you. I knew he spanked you. But, the other stuff that Abbey said he did to you. I never knew." 

Jed saw the guilt clouding her eyes. "Did you suspect?" 

Emily was silent for a moment, the tears spilling slowly down her cheeks. "God help me, I did. There were so many accidents. Things like that time you crashed the golf cart and broke your ribs. But you never said anything and I guess I just didn't want to know." 

"I didn't crash the golf cart, Mother. Dad told you I did, but I didn't. He was pissed at me for adding a stroke to his score – deserved I might add – and he hit me across the chest with his golf club." 

Emily's eyes widened with disbelief. "No," she moaned "…Oh heaven help me, no…" She sat then on the bench covering her face with her hands. 

There were so many other incidents Jed could have told her about, so many other "accidents", but, for the first time, as he looked at her sitting on that bench, he didn't see the formidable stiff-spined mother he had grown up with – he saw a broken up old lady. His mother was an old woman. The past was the past; there was nothing either of them could do to change it and he just couldn't bring himself to hurt her any further. Instead, he sat next to her on the bench placing his arm over her frail shaking shoulders. 

"It's okay, Mother. It was a long time ago." 

"Oh, Josiah. Can you ever forgive me?" 

"Forgiving is what I do best," he smiled down at her. 

Emily reached a hand out to stroke his jaw. He was so handsome, this son of hers. With his thick bronze hair, his tanned square jaw and his beautiful merry blue eyes, he took after her side of the family, as Irish as could be. But there was more to her son than good looks. Josiah was a good man, a good husband, a good father and a good President. Why had she never told him so before? Why had she let him grow up feeling worthless and unloved? She wondered quickly what she could do to make it up to him. She glanced back at John's grave, knew that despite Jed's words to the contrary, he was still aching for his father's love and acceptance. "Your father never hated you," her words were choked out. 

"What?" 

"I said your father never hated you. As I said, he was so jealous of you he couldn't see straight. You were a good looking, absolutely brilliant child and you were the apple of your grandfather's eye; something your father always strived for and never achieved. Your grandfather Josiah doted on your every word. He was planning your campaign for governor when you were three years old." 

"Funny. I didn't decide to run until I was 39." 

"Didn't matter, he saw it all. Your father was jealous of you because you were better at everything than he was. A better leader, a better scholar, a better husband, a better father and more than anything, a better man, but he didn't hate you, he just wanted to be better than you." 

"I don't understand that kind of jealousy. I'd love for my son to be a better man than I am. I want so much for Nicholas and for Aislinn and for all my girls that it hurts inside. Why couldn't he feel the same pride that I feel?" 

"Because, as you stated earlier, your father was a prick." 

Abbey and Jed stared at the older woman in awe. Neither had ever even heard her curse before, let alone use a term like that. 

"Hey, don't look at me like that. I've seen you both use far worse words on your scrabble boards." She gave them the old Emily Bartlet 'tsk...tsk' look. "And don't think I haven't looked up a few of those words in the dictionary. You two should be ashamed of yourselves." 

Abbey looked at Jed with wide eyes remembering quite a few of the terms her mother-in-law had questioned and they both burst into laughter. 

When they had stopped laughing, Abbey walked away to give the two time for any private mother/son moments they might want to share. As a mother, Abbey had never been able to understand Emily Bartlet's treatment of her son. She could never understand how a mother could withhold love and cuddles and praise. She adored her children; she couldn't imagine never having held them to her breasts to nourish them or never having held them on her lap to rock them to sleep after a bath or kiss a boo-boo when they got hurt. She couldn't imagine not pulling them up into bed with her to snuggle close when they were scared in the night or not tucking them in after prayers with a kiss to the forehead and an "I love you". She couldn't imagine suspecting her husband was hurting her child and never getting that child out of the situation. Listening to Emily's perspective tonight, it was clear that John Bartlet had done as much to the psyche of the young woman who had been Emily Flynn Bartlet as he had done to his sons. She was just glad that Jed had had the chance to make peace with his mother in a way that he hadn't with his father. 

Abbey made her way along the headstones reading the familiar names. She paused, as she always did, before Alice Bartlet's grave. Alice had died in 1872 in childbirth and was buried with her daughter Sarah who had perished as well. Since the first time she had come here when she was engaged to Jed and pregnant with Elizabeth, she had felt an affinity for the young mother and her baby, but for the past eighteen years she had paused there for another reason entirely. She took a deep breath and stepped to the next plot her eyes focusing on the headstone. Peter Michael Bartlet b. August 21,1986 d. August 21, 1986. 

It hit her as it always did, with a swift kick to the gut. Tears burned in her eyes as she knelt at her son's grave, pulling weeds from the beautiful array of wildflowers she, Jed and the girls had planted around his burial spot just a couple of months after his birth and death. It had taken her that long to gain the strength to be able to do that for him. After all these years, it was still so easy to picture her premature son, so tiny, but so perfect as he lay in the palm of Jed's hand. He had never taken a breath, never opened his eyes to see the love in his parents' faces. She wrapped her arms around her belly almost feeling the horrible gut wrenching pain of the contractions she'd had in her premature labor. She could almost feel the warmth of the blood that pooled between her legs and flooded down her thighs. She held herself tightly that way for a few moments as if to comfort herself, then reached a tentative finger out to trace her son's name and the teddy bears carved in the marble. As she did so, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned from the grave and looked up. It was Jed, his face was blurry and swimming through her tears. 

"He'd be eighteen this year, Jed." Her voice was shaky with emotion. 

"I know." Jed ran his hand in comforting circles on her back. 

"He'd be starting college. I wonder where he would have gone?" 

"Notre Dame, of course." Jed swallowed past the lump in his throat. 

"Or maybe Harvard or Dartmouth. He'd be taller than I am now." 

"I should hope so," Jed grinned through his tears. "You're a little pipsqueak." 

Abbey smiled back at him and wrapped her arms around her waist again, almost doubling over. "God, it still hurts so bad, Jed. You'd think it wouldn't hurt so bad after eighteen years." 

"He was our son, Abbey, and we never got the chance to know him." Jed's voice broke with emotion and Abbey turned to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. 

"I used to hate the fact that I had no idea of what he might have looked like. But, now we have Nicholas and that makes it a little easier to see the masculine image of us in a child. God, I wish I could have known him." A lone tear slipped down her cheek. 

"I wish we could have known what made him happy or sad or what scared him or made him mad. I wish we knew what kind of music he would have liked, what his favorite movies would have been, what kind of books he would have enjoyed, what kind of sports he would have played, what his favorite foods would have been. I wish he could have lived long enough for me to hold him and tell him just once how much I loved him and how sorry I was that I was never going to get the chance to be his mom. Just one hug, Jed. I wish I'd had just one hug." 

"You'll get that hug, Abbey." He stroked the back of her hair. "I have to believe that. We'll get a chance to be his parents one day." 

Abbey buried her face in Jed's chest. She loved her husband's complete and utter conviction in the afterlife; it had always been such a comfort to her. While she was still held in his arms, she felt another hand on her shoulder. 

"Abigail, since I'm in a confessing kind of mood here, there's something that I need to tell you about the day…well, the day that we lost Peter. Something that I need to apologize for." 

"What could you possibly have to confess about that day?" Abbey turned a puzzled look to her mother-in-law. There wasn't much that she remembered from that horrific day – she'd been in too much pain in the beginning and later, after the delivery, she'd been sedated. She remembered feeling crampy and unwell. She remembered going up to lay down on her mother-in-law's bed and falling asleep only to awaken with terrible, stabbing pains ripping through her middle. She remembered the abject fear when felt and saw the blood spilling down her legs and the panic on Jed's face when she'd screamed for him and he'd found her doubled up on the floor, the blood pooling beneath her. She remembered Jed yelling to his mother to call 911 and she had; the ambulance had arrived very quickly. 

Her time in the hospital was just a foggy blur of agony – of doctors rushing in and out trying to stop her contractions and to literally push their baby back into her womb, of Jed clutching her hand tightly as the waves of pain tore through her body. She remembered watching her husband fight a losing battle with tears as the doctors told them their attempts had been futile, her water had broken and she was going to deliver a baby that was too premature, too underdeveloped to survive and still she'd fought it. Even as Jed urged her to push, she caused herself more agony by fighting what her body was trying to do, fighting to keep that little life inside her. And, when it was over, when they'd taken her son's tiny body away she'd cried in Jed's arms for so long that they'd had to sedate her. In all that she remembered, she could not think why her mother-in-law would feel the need to apologize. 

"Josiah knows why I need to apologize. He's never really forgiven me for leaving you alone at the hospital." 

"I don't understand," Abbey shook her head, still in the dark. 

Jed knew exactly what his mother was talking about. He had never been angrier with his mother than he had been that day when he'd asked her to sit with Abbey while the sedative took effect so he could go home and talk to the girls in person. They had seen their mother screaming and crying in pain, had seen all the blood and he knew they had to be terrified. Little Zoey had just turned four years old; she had no idea what was going on. She still thought babies came from a hospital. When he had returned he'd found his wife as alone as he'd left her and his mother re-entering the hospital. She had left her there all alone. It was something he'd never told Abbey, but now he turned to his wife. 

"After everything was over and you were all cleaned up and had been given the sedative, I went out to tell my parents they we had lost the baby. I asked Mother to go in and sit with you until the sedative took effect so I could go home and talk to the girls. I wanted somebody there to hold your hand and comfort you. I guess I should have known better." He flashed his mother a bitter look. 

"I never went in to sit with you," Emily admitted. "I left you there all alone and grieving." 

"I'm sure it didn't take long for the sedative to take effect. I don't remember much of the rest of that day or night." 

"That's not the point!" Jed exploded. "I ASKED her to do that for me, for YOU, and she couldn't be bothered. She couldn't even bring herself to sit with her own daughter-in-law and tell her she was sorry for her loss." 

"I…I couldn't," Emily choked. "I felt like it was my fault." 

"How on earth could it have been your fault?" Abbey asked. "It was my body." 

"It was my fault because right from the moment you told us that you were pregnant again I started praying for a boy. When you were pregnant with the girls, all I ever prayed for was a healthy grandchild. This time I didn't ask for healthy. I just asked for a boy and I got him. Only, he wasn't healthy. He was dead." 

"Emily," Abbey reached out a hand to squeeze her mother-in-law's arm. "It wasn't your fault. God wasn't punishing you for that. For a long time I thought it was my fault; that I hadn't taken care of myself properly. But when I got pregnant with the twins, I found out that it wasn't anybody's fault. I simply had an incompetent cervix, which was why Zoey had been premature as well. I had to have couple of stitches put in so I could carry the twins to term." 

"Maybe it wasn't my fault, but I felt like it was. I left the hospital to go to confession. I put cleansing my soul above comforting you. I know now that that was wrong, but I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. I went back to the hospital fully intending to sit with you, but by then Josiah was back and he was furious with me. He didn't want me near you. I had just lost my grandson, my son had just lost a child, my daughter-in-law was experiencing a grief so overwhelming she had to be sedated and there was nothing that I could do to help." 

Abbey slipped her arm around Emily's waist. "As I said, we now know that it wasn't anybody's fault. Peter just wasn't meant to be." Abbey gazed back down at the headstone. It had taken her a long time to come to terms with that and she wasn't sure if she ever truly had. She felt Jed's arm slide over her shoulders cushioning her between himself and his mother and for the first time in eighteen years, Peter Michael Bartlet's mother, father and grandmother all grieved for him together the way they should have right from the beginning. 


	27. Everyday Is a Winding Road

The emotion of the afternoon proved to be a bit much for Emily and she left the cemetery to go back to the house and take a nap before supper. Knowing that her husband was going to need some time to process his mother's revelations and not wanting her mother-in-law to be alone, Abbey headed back with her to the house. 

With his mother and his wife gone, Jed quietly left the ghosts of his past behind him in the cemetery and made his way slowly back toward the barn. Max ignored darting rabbits and squirrels to walk quietly at his side as if sensing his master's need for contemplation. As he approached the pasture where Liz' and Annie's horses were grazing together, he leaned against the fence holding a hand out to rub Lancelot's muzzle. The black gelding whickered softly and nuzzled against Jed's chest. 

"Sorry, Lance. I didn't bring anything for you to munch on today." He gave the horse an affectionate scratch on the forelock then continued on his way to the barn. Inside, he walked along the stalls that housed the farm's dairy cows, brought in for the evening for milking. 

"Hello, Mr. President." 

"Hi, Joe," Jed nodded to the farm manager. "Mind if I help out here?" 

"They're your cows, sir," Joe grinned. He'd been running the Bartlet dairy farm ever since young Jed had inherited it. 

Jed nodded and pulled out a short three-legged stool from the tack room. The Bartlet farm had long ago switched to mechanical milking but sometimes when Jed needed to think, he liked to come down and milk a cow the way his grandfather had taught him to when he was just a young boy. He took his place next to the cow and placed his cheek against the warm body as he began the familiar squeeze and pull of milking. He felt himself relaxing as he heard the satisfying sound of liquid squirting into the tin pail. 

As he leaned there leisurely milking the cow, he thought back to all that his mother had just told him. He had never before realized that there was another dimension to his childhood. With the egocentricity of a child, he had seen the reactions of his mother and of his father as revolving around him. He had never looked at the world through his mother's eyes, had never seen her as anything but the cool, proper, unemotional woman who had raised him. Even though he'd seen pictures of her when she was younger, he had never really thought of her as a young girl – a girl who had come to New Hampshire with her heart on her sleeve ready for love and adventure. A girl who had fallen in love with the idea of a man and only after marrying him found out that he was not at all what she'd thought that he was. 

He had never thought of his father in any other term except fear. Not just fear from physical abuse, but fear from all the taunts and putdowns of what he now knew was verbal abuse and most of all fear of displeasure. When he thought of John Bartlet, it was the formal, cold, austere headmaster that everyone feared, not a young boy who desperately wanted and fought for his own father's approval, a young boy who had never measured up to his brothers. He had never thought of the pain and jealousy that had to twist inside his father when he watched his own father – the man whose approval he'd never had – dote on his grandson with unabashed delight. 

Jed knew deep down that his father's reactions had not been right, that it was never okay to hurt or abuse anyone, let alone the ones that you love. But, for the first time he began to believe that maybe it had nothing to do with him. That maybe he hadn't been such a failure as a son and that maybe the failure lay in his father's own heart. Because, deep down inside Jed knew that if his father was still alive and worshipped Nicholas the way he never had Jed, he would have rejoiced with gladness and thanks. The love and pride that he had in his offspring would certainly have overcome any residual sadness that might have resulted from such a relationship. But, it was not to be. His father was dead; Nicholas would never know his grandfather and maybe that would be a blessing, for he was determined that his own son would only know love and pride and acceptance. There was nothing he could do to "right" his past, but he could make sure that he was the best father possible to his own son and finally break the Bartlet curse between father and son. 

With his thoughts in order and ready to share his revelations with his wife, Jed gave a few squirts of milk to the barn cats, patted the cow on her hindquarters and prepared to head back to the house. 

**** 

The house was quiet upon Jed's return. Mrs. Johansson was cooking away in the kitchen but she was all alone. He found Abbey in their bedroom sitting on the bed in a pair of his silk boxers and a tank top. Her damp hair was piled up on her head, her knees drawn to her chest and cotton balls were stuffed between her toes. Her glasses were perched on the end of her nose, her brow furrowed as she concentrated on spreading a deep mauve polish on her toes. Tender love for her coursed through his veins. There were so many different facets to his wife. She could be sophisticated and formidable, a sexy siren or an enchanting seductress and he loved all of those sides to her but it was this sweet adorable side to her that made his heart flip flop with a soft aching love. Suddenly, the need to talk to her was overcome by another more pressing need. 

"Damn you and your sexy underwear." 

Abbey looked up from her pedicure, her bottom lip still held between her teeth and a wary look in her eyes. "Jed, these are not sexy. They're boxer shorts and they're yours." 

"You said they were sexy." 

"On you, they're sexy. On me, they're baggy shorts." 

"Anything looks sexy on you, my hot little tamale." He sat beside her on the bed, his hand running up the smooth expanse of her leg. 

"Jed, don't," she warned. "My toes are wet." 

"Fuck your toes." 

"Now that might be a little too kinky even for me," she wrinkled her nose at him. It was that cute little wrinkle that did him in. In an instant, he had Abbey underneath him, his large warm body pressing her into the bed. He smelled of sunshine and horses and hay and of the first time they made love and Abbey could no more resist him now than she had that first time in the hayloft. 

"Still worried about your toes?" He asked as he slipped one of his hands inside the baggy boxers to grasp her soft rear and pull her up against him while the other snuck through the convenient slit in the front to delve into the sweet springy curls causing her breath to catch in her throat. 

"Uh…what…" Abbey's mind was already clouded by Jed's massaging fingertips. 

"That's exactly what I thought…" 

**** 

Abbey eyed the lumpy mess on her toes with dismay. "Look what you did to me. My toes are a mess." 

"They are, aren't they?" Jed's grin was hardly apologetic. 

"Not funny. I wanted to get my pedicure done before the twins wake up." 

"Give me your foot." 

"What?" 

"Give me your foot. I messed up your pedicure, so I'll fix it." 

"Jed," her eyes narrowed. "If this is some way to get in another quickie before supper…" 

"You wound me to think that I would have ulterior motives. I simply want to help my beautiful, generous wife." He gathered up the polish remover and the bottle of polish. 

"You are SO full of blarney, Jed." She tossed the bag of cotton balls at him then leaned back against the pillows pulling the sheet over her nude form. No need to tempt him, she wanted him to do a good job. "Now, get to work." 

"Awful bossy, aren't you?" 

"You like me bossy." 

"Surprisingly, I do." He massaged her soft foot gently and began wiping the smudged lumpy polish from her toes with an acetone soaked cotton ball. Abbey relaxed back against the pillows enjoying her husband's ministrations. She re-opened her eyes when he began to polish her toes to make sure he was doing it properly and was immediately hit by how erotic the sight was. Her foot was pressed up against her husband's bare belly for he wore only the boxers he had taken off her own body just moments before. There was an incredible earthy sensuality about watching him wear them while they were still warm from her own body. His rumpled hair fell across his brow and he bit his bottom lip in concentration as he spread the polish methodically on her toenail. Abbey couldn't help herself. Earlier she might have scolded him about keeping his mind on the task at hand, but now she herself was starting to feel a little frisky. When Jed took her right foot in hand instead of placing it against his belly, Abbey 'inadvertently' pressed it gently against his crotch. Jed's eyes flew to hers at the touch and noticed the sly wicked little smile curving across her lips. Abbey the seductress was back. 

"Abigail, if you leave that foot there for much longer, your toes are going to be one helluva mess again," he warned her. 

"It's fall. Nobody's going to see my toes." She flexed those toes against the bulge that was growing harder under her foot. 

"Really…" Jed placed the polish back on the table and lifted her foot, pressing his lips to the delicate arch. Abbey sighed and stretched out, arching her back with delight as his lips moved to nibble on her slender ankle. 

Both started at the sound of the doorknob wiggling, Abbey yanking the sheet high up over her chest and Jed grabbing his bathrobe. They needn't have worried, the door held. Jed had remembered to lock it. However, the two youngsters outside the door were a little put off to find their parents door locked. 

"Mama…Mama…" 

"Just a minute, sweeties. Daddy will let you in…" Abbey called out as she slipped into the bathrobe Jed handed her. 

"Daaaaady…" Nicholas began pounding the door with his fist. "Daaaddy… Hungwy!" 

"Okay, okay, chill out, guys." Jed opened the door and the two scampered in with reproachful eyes. They did NOT like being locked out of Mommy and Daddy's room. Aislinn stopped to watch Abbey put the finishing touches on her last toe. 

"Pwity toes…Me too…me too…" she held her little foot out to Abbey wanting her mother to paint her toenails. 

"I need to go down and see if Mrs. Johansson needs a hand with dinner. We'll bring the polish with us and Daddy can do your nails while we wait. He's quite a pro." 

Aislinn beamed an excited smile at Jed and brought him the bottle of polish. "Daddy, pwity toes?" 

"Yes, sunshine," he tousled her hair with sweet affection. "Daddy will give you pretty toes." 

By the time Emily entered the kitchen, Jed was busy painting Aislinn's miniscule finger and toenails, the little girl giggling heartily when her father blew on her toes to dry the polish before moving on to the next one. Nicholas was sitting next to his mother at the kitchen table munching on one of the mandarin orange slices he had picked out of the oriental salad that Abbey was preparing. If she thought it odd that her son and daughter-in-law were having supper in their bathrobes, for once, she didn't comment on it. Instead, she moved to the tow headed little boy and stood by the chair that he sat in, biting her tongue to keep from snapping at him not to put his fingers in the salad. 

"Hello, Nicholas." 

Nicholas turned and regarded his grandmother with wide wary blue eyes. His grandmother was not like his mother; she didn't give him kisses and hugs or make raspberries against his belly. She didn't tease him like his mother did or make funny voices when she read him stories or walk around the house singing like his mother did. She didn't laugh and call him "sticky Nicky" like his mother did when he placed sticky, dirty hands on her face, she got angry. She didn't smile like his mother or play with him like his mother. And, when his grandmother held him it was not tightly against her breasts as if he was the most special little boy in the world the way that his mother did, it was stiffly, as if she were uncomfortable doing so and even a twenty-two month old child could sense that. 

"Nicholas, say hello to your grandmother," Abbey prodded him. 

"Hi, Gamma," he said softly, almost bashfully. 

Emily stood still for a moment behind her grandson's chair, clearly hesitant and uncomfortable about something. And then, to both Jed and Abbey's surprise, she bent down and kissed the top of Nicky's soft silky head. 

"I love you, Nicholas Bartlet," she said softly. "I love you very, very, much." 

Tears stung Jed's eyes as they met his mother's across the table. Tears of acceptance and tears of forgiveness, and yes, tears for the little boy who had sat at this very table and never been told those three words by the woman who had just uttered them for his own son. 

Emily moved to Aislinn who was surveying her new pretty mauve nails. "And I love you, Aislinn." Aislinn accepted her grandmother's kiss then turned to her to look up at her with Abbey's lovely hazel eyes. 

"You wuv Daddy?" she asked, patting Jed's cheeks with her hands. 

Emily paused with her hand on Jed's shoulder, a smile touching her lips as she took in the smudged nail polish on his cheek and his fingers. 

"Yes, Aislinn. I love your daddy very much." 


	28. Everyday Is a Winding Road

It was the soft gray of early dawn when Jed finally crawled out of bed. He'd been awake for hours, had in fact never really fallen asleep at all. He'd tossed and turned most of the night re-thinking his childhood in the wake of all that his mother had told him this afternoon. And, as if that hadn't been enough to keep him awake, butterflies over the election were right there to help out. According to the polls he had the contest locked up, but strange things happened on election days. People could change their minds. Polls could be wrong. As he swung his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet, he felt a little shaky and had to brace himself against the nightstand. Last minute jitters he told himself. 

He felt a little better once he'd brushed his teeth and splashed some water on his face; but after lathering up with shaving cream, he'd placed the razor to his jaw and had seen his hand shaking just as he'd felt the nick to his skin. 

"Dammit," he swore, holding the offending hand against his chest. "Not today, please God, not today." 

"You're up awfully early," Abbey said, entering the bathroom with a yawn. 

"It's a big day." 

"Did you get any sleep at all?" 

"How'd you know I didn't sleep?" 

"I was right there beside you. Do you think I didn't feel you rolling around, punching your pillow, sighing away." 

"Sorry. I didn't mean to keep you up." 

Abbey's eyes went from sleepy to wide awake as she saw the blood dripping down her husband's neck. "Jesus, Jed, you sure nicked the hell out of yourself this morning." 

"Mmmm…." 

Abbey placed her fingers under his chin wiping the shaving cream away to survey the damage. 

"Well, am I gonna live, Doc?" 

"Doesn't look like a mortal wound. This time anyway." She dabbed at it with a cotton ball, then placed a piece of tissue paper over it so he could continue on. "You nervous or something?" 

"Yeah, I guess so." Let her think it was nerves. The last thing he needed was Abbey thinking he was on the verge of an episode. No, he amended; the last thing he needed was to actually BE on the verge of an episode. 

"Nothing like four years ago though, huh?" 

"That wasn't nerves. That was sheer terror." Jed had been waiting for her to leave so that he could continue on shaving but it was obvious as she twisted her hair back into a clip that she was about to start her own morning ablutions. He really didn't want to continue shaving under Abbey's scrutiny. His wife had the eyes of a hawk. She knew him better than anyone and she would pick up on the minutest change in his behavior. But, there was no way around it. She was standing right next to him, and now she was brushing her teeth. He closed his eyes in silent prayer and lifted his razor back to his jaw. Thankfully, his hand moved slow and steady and he figured that maybe he really had just been over tired. Maybe it wasn't an episode after all. 

Jed felt even better about things when he didn't have any symptoms over breakfast. He filled the kids' bottles with milk without spilling a drop and ate his scrambled eggs without shaking bits of egg everywhere. Everything was perfectly normal and he was able to push any negative thoughts into the back of his mind. Denial had always come easy to him. 

Denial was not so easy just a couple of hours later when he stood in the voting booth at the First Emmanuel Episcopal church. His eyes were having trouble focusing on the ballot before him and that put him in a bit of a pickle. Abbey was voting right beside him; he could get her attention and her help but then she would know about his condition and if he brought it out to ask questions, the dozens of reporters and TV cameras watching him at this very moment would know there was a problem. No, he had to figure this out on his own. The idea of simply leaving the ballot blank was completely out of the realm of possibility. It was his civic duty to vote. Besides, New Hampshire was a tight race. What if he lost by one vote? He lifted the ballot willing his eyes to regain their focus. 

He knew the moment Abbey left the booth, heard the reporters questioning her about who she voted for and Abbey giving them a typical smart ass answer about not voting for anyone, that she had just been in the booth fixing her make up. He grinned at the answer but knew they would be wondering what was taking him so long. Miraculously, his eyes cleared but he didn't have time to go over the ballot thoroughly so he ended up doing something that he never did. He voted the straight Democratic ticket. Not that voting for all Democrats was strange for him, but he usually took his time to vote for each individual candidate, today he didn't have that luxury. Not if he wanted to keep his wife from knowing there was a problem. 

He stepped out to see Abbey signing autographs while she gave flip answers to the press. She really had become quite good at this. Four years ago, she was just emerging from the cloak of simply being known as Mrs. Bartlet to the world and now she was a celebrity. Abbey. It was strange to think that people all over the world from America to Asia to remote areas of Africa knew exactly who was being referred to by that one name. And, just a few more minutes was all he needed to keep his Abbey in the dark. When they left the church they would separate, he was making thank you stops all the way back to D.C. while Abbey was going to fly back to their nation's capitol later in the afternoon with the kids and the whole Bartlet and O'Neill clans so they could be there for the celebration. It scared him to think that he might not be in any condition to make it to that celebration. 

He stood on the steps of the church, waved to the well-wishers, answered the reporters' questions, kissed Abbey good-bye and made his way toward the waiting car. On the way he asked Charlie to score him some aspirin. He knew Charlie had to be wondering why he was asking him for aspirin. Not only was his wife a doctor, she was also, obviously, a woman, and women were notorious for carrying aspirin in their purses. To his credit Charlie merely asked him if he had a headache. 

Once in the car when he was finally alone, he slipped his hidden right hand out of his pocket. The same hand that had been shaking on and off all morning and tried to sign some documents he'd been given. True to form as soon as he gripped the pen his hand began to shake again. 

"Come on," Jed willed his hand to stop shaking. Nothing frustrated him more than not being in control of his own body. Finally, he simply shut the folder and told the driver to go. He closed his fist on his knee and felt it shaking terribly against his thigh. Impatient with this weakness, he covered it with his left hand, thankful that Abbey was taking a later flight. 

He knew his wife was going to be pissed if this turned into a full-blown attack and she found out that he'd been having symptoms since this morning. But, it was hard for him. It had been hard for him when she'd been his physician, and was doubly hard now. She was his wife and she was his lover. She was not his mother or his nurse. He wanted her to see him as her strong, virile husband, not weak and sick and out of control of even the most basic functions of his body. He knew it was vain but he liked being powerful and in control and he knew how much of a turn on it was for Abbey to watch him trying to fix the world. He didn't know how he was going to bear it if his condition progressed and she ended up having to care for him as she did their children, for her to look at him with eyes filled with tenderness and pity rather than sparkling with lust. How he was going to bear going from being her lover to her patient. He closed his eyes resting his head back against the seat. 

"Please, God," he prayed. "Please, don't ever let it come to that." 

**** 

As the day progressed, Jed was thankful that his symptoms did not appear to worsen. Every so often his eye went blurry but his hand had stopped shaking continuously, and there was no numbness or tingling in his thigh. He was beginning to think that he was going to make it through this one without anyone's knowledge. 

His frazzled wife missed any symptoms that she might have picked up on when he returned to the Residence for a pre-celebratory dinner. The Residence had been overrun with Bartlets and O'Neills, Flynns and Warrens – their children, parents, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Abbey was trying to entertain them all along with trying to get the over-stimulated twins to take a late nap amidst the chaos so they would be ready to go on stage later that night way past their bedtime. 

Supper was a buffet for there were too many people for a sit down meal in the small Residence dining room. So, relatives chatted and balanced plates of food in their hands or on their laps while TVs blared out election results. Stories were being told. The elders remembering the young boy Jed had been, all swearing they had known the boy was special, that they had known he was destined for greatness. Pride that one of their own had actually reached this pinnacle was in abundance throughout the room. 

Jed was able to mingle and steer clear of Abbey and her father, for even at his father-in-law's advanced age, he was afraid Dr. Michael O'Neill might spot the slight tremor in the hand that held his fork or the way that he rubbed impatiently at his eye at times. 

Supper was a quick meal for Jed. Unlike four years ago when he'd sat with Abbey and the staff watching all the election results come in, he had work to do in the Oval Office. Everything about this election was different. He'd had the job for four years now and there wasn't that horrible overwhelming fear that he was in way over his head. That he wasn't ready to be the President of the United States. He knew exactly what to expect in this second term. 

**** 

Back in the Oval Office, while everyone outside his door crowded around the TV waiting for the networks to call the race state by state, Jed quietly went over his acceptance speech. His solitude was interrupted when Leo and CJ entered the room with looks of gloom. He watched with growing concern as CJ moved to pour him a glass of scotch. 

"What are you doing?" he asked. 

"We've got some news," she said flatly. 

"What?" He tried to read CJ's face but it was stony, unreadable. He turned to Leo. "What?" he asked again. 

Leo couldn't keep the smile in any longer; this was the news they'd all been longing to give their boss, their friend. "You're gonna win New Hampshire." 

A sweet, relieved smile curved across Jed's lips and suddenly they were all grinning. Jed sipped at his scotch offering a silent thanks to the woman upstairs. He thought quickly of Abbey as she had been just a few hours ago back in the Residence chasing Max out of the platter of carved ham and carrying a sniffling toddler on her hip while the other tugged at her skirt with fingers covered in shrimp dip. Without Abbey's frequent visits to their home state with their children, he knew there was no way he would have won. He owed her a huge debt of gratitude for that one and he was a man who always repaid his debts. 

**** 

The crowd was cheering wildly as Jed, Abbey and their entourage of family and friends took the stage. Only an hour before, Josiah Bartlet had been proclaimed the winner of the 2002 election in what was a landslide victory surpassing even the most optimistic Bartlet staffer's predictions. 

Abbey stood just behind Jed holding tightly to Nicholas' and Aislinn's hands to keep them from wandering too close to the edge of the stage and taking away attention from Jed's acceptance speech. Both children kept their eyes glued to the ceiling, for their mother had promised them if they were good that balloons were going to fall from the sky and they could play with them. Every time the crowd cheered at something their father said, they waited breathlessly for that magical moment to happen, for that was how it had happened the last time they were on the stage with him at the Democratic National Convention. 

Abbey was enjoying the moment, basking in her husband's moment of glory. Her heart was bursting with pride in him, pride in all that he was and all that he had accomplished. Pride that he had been strong enough to deal with all that life had thrown at him and that despite his difficult childhood he had not been broken or beaten. Just one year ago, nobody that didn't really know Jed could have predicted this. The pollsters and journalists had written him off after he had come clean about the M.S.. He had been censured; the country felt betrayed. The Democratic leadership hadn't wanted him to run again. Hell, she hadn't wanted him to run again. Somehow Jed had found the strength to fight them all, to ignore that the odds were against him and fight all the way until the bitter end, and this time the good guy had finished first, not last. Somehow, through sheer grit and strength of character and with supreme confidence in who he was and what he believed in Jed Bartlet had triumphed over all the naysayers that had said it couldn't be done. 

That she was one of those who hadn't wanted him to run again barely flit across her mind. Once she had made up her mind to support him, she had done so with all her heart and soul and now she was enjoying watching her husband reap the benefits of his hard work, tenacity and generosity of spirit. 

She was passing Nicky's hand over to her sister Jane when she heard Jed veer off course in his speech. It was nothing overt, nothing anyone would notice, but she did because she'd heard him practicing it at the Residence and in the car on the way over. Always aware that the camera was on her, she continued to clap and smile as she discreetly leaned her body so that she could get a look at the prompter and found that she was right. There hadn't been any last minute changes to the speech; her husband was simply making it up as he went along. A small stab of fear lanced her heart. Jed couldn't read the prompter and that meant only one thing – he was either in the midst of an episode or just starting one. Her eyes fell immediately to his hands to look for any shaking but they were gripping the podium tightly so she couldn't tell. 

The crowd erupted with cheers as Jed finished his speech and turned to her. Putting on a brave face Abbey smiled happily up at him and accepted the joyful kiss to her lips. He clasped her hand tightly and raised her arm with his to even louder cheers. _The Times Are A-Changin'_ began blaring out over the loudspeakers as Jed lifted Aislinn into his arms. She was at first bashful, burying her face into her father's chest, but as he whispered something in her ear she turned around and faced the crowd giving a shy wave the way her father showed her. Nicholas leaned over from Abbey's arms and Jed suddenly had a toddler in each arm, his beaming smile of fatherly pride lighting the room and electrifying the crowd. As the balloons fell from the ceiling and confetti began to fly, Jed set them down so they could play with the balloons as promised and he turned to accept hugs and kisses from his older daughters and Annie and all of his relatives, in-laws and friends. 

After quite a while, the stage cleared leaving just him and Abbey. Abbey hung back allowing her husband this moment, his last election victory. She had never been all that comfortable basking in this kind of adulation. This was Jed's domain and he was king of it. She watched him leaning over the edge of the stage to shake the hands of well wishers. She was comfortable in the background, but Jed didn't let her remain there for long. With a happy grin he re-took her hand and lifted it heavenward in victory. She could almost feel the joy and excitement pulsating through him, and yet, that niggling fear for his health sapped any joy that she felt in the moment. 

Finally, they were able to leave the stage. 

"That was wonderful," Abbey said, shaking the confetti from her hair. 

"That was fun." 

"How are you feeling?" 

"I feel great." 

"You want a glass of water?" 

"No, I'm fine." 

"You seem a little dry. You sure you don't want a glass of water?" 

"Yeah." 

"Maybe I should get you a glass of water just in case. You can hold it in your hand." 

Jed knew in that moment that Abbey knew. The smile of joy that had lit his face slowly faded as he leaned in close to her so he could talk over the music without being overheard. 

"How did you know?" 

Abbey found that she couldn't look him in the eye. She couldn't bear to see the pain and fear that she knew she would find there. "You were off the prompter." She tried desperately to keep the tears from filling her eyes. 

"Just for a minute at the end, I couldn't see it." His face searched hers looking for reproach but it wasn't there. Instead, her eyes were shining with tenderness and with love. 

"It's all right," Abbey quickly reassured him. "There are going to be more days like this. It starts now. It's going to be harder this time." 

"Yeah, I know." He looked up and into her eyes. He knew all that was at stake, yet a sweet smile crossed his face. "We can still have tonight though, right?" 

It was that hopeful boyish optimism that did Abbey in. The tears welled in her eyes. "You got lots of nights," she choked. "Smart people who love you are going to have your back." A gentle smile touched her lips as she gazed reassuringly into the eyes of the man she loved. 

"All right." He smiled back at her and leaned down to kiss her on the mouth. Her arm had come up around his neck and his lips were trailing kisses along her cheek when CJ interrupted them. 

"Excuse me," CJ grinned. "You want to take another curtain call?" 

Jed looked to Abbey for approval. He was afraid she might coddle him knowing about his symptoms. She surprised him with her answer. 

"Sure," she gave him a big happy grin and squeezed his hand. There was no way she was going to ruin this moment for him. She wanted him to enjoy every moment of it. 

Together, hands clasped tightly, he and Abbey made their way back out on the stage where the crowd was still cheering like crazy. With the future uncertain, they waved and smiled and basked in the glow of the moment, savoring it all, knowing that if the worse happened that they would always have this time, this perfect moment to remember. 


	29. Everyday Is a Winding Road

The White House was in a partying kind of mood. This wasn't just the President's victory. This was also a moment for all of the staffers who had worked nearly around the clock for over a year to finally let loose and celebrate. Alcohol flowed freely and talk was of battles won and lost – the emphasis being on the "won". 

Abbey was chatting with Jordan and Millie when Jed came up behind her, his hand closing over her elbow squeezing gently to get her attention. 

"You ready to blow this joint?" he asked. 

It was well after midnight, but it was rare that Jed wanted to be the first to leave a party. Abbey's eyes immediately grew troubled. 

"Are you tired?" she asked with a worried frown. 

"Hardly," he grinned. "I'm still pretty pumped, but I've had enough of this." He gestured to the room. "I think I'd like to finish this celebration in private." 

"Really?" Abbey lifted an eyebrow. After finding out that Jed had been exhibiting some M.S. symptoms, she'd been a bit worried about the intimate part of their celebration. She knew that during an episode it wasn't uncommon for a man to experience some total impotence or difficulty maintaining an erection. It hadn't happened to Jed yet, but she hoped he wasn't setting himself up for a fall. Nothing would dampen his celebration or his psyche more than not being able to perform. 

"Yes, really. Let's go." He took her hand and determinedly led her away from the party. Abbey waved and blew her friends a kiss as she passed them by on their way out of the room. 

"I suppose she's lucky he didn't drag her out by her hair," Millie laughed. 

"The President's a passionate man," Jordan grinned. 

"Uh, yeah…you could say that. Testosterone is definitely in the air tonight. I think every guy here is going to be looking to score tonight. You know how they are with the spoils of war and all." 

Unaware of what they'd been discussing, Leo came up to the two women. "Jordan, would you like to dance?" 

Jordan looked at Millie and the two burst into laughter. 

"What?" he asked, puzzled. "What did I say?" 

**** 

Abbey was surprised when she opened the door to their bedroom. Jed had gone straight to the bedroom but she had gone to the nursery to check on the twins before returning for their celebration. She had expected her husband to remain true to form and pounce on her as soon as she walked in the door just as he had in the limo after winning the debate. She had not expected seduction, but that was exactly what the stage was set for. A fire burned in the fireplace, candles flickered around the room and soft romantic music played in the background. Jed stood before her in a silk bathrobe and leather slippers. It was quite a change from his usual sweats and T-shirt. 

"You look very debonair." She kissed him lightly as she began unbuttoning her jacket and untucking her blouse from her skirt. 

"I do, don't I?" he grinned. "Would you like a martini?" He moved to the cart. 

"Yeah, but I feel a little overdressed. I'll change while you make me that drink." 

"I'm all for that." 

"I thought you might be." She left him to enter the bathroom. 

"I don't want to intimidate you, but it turns out I'm the first Democrat in twenty years to make a clean sweep of the Plains states and I'm not just talking about Iowa and Nebraska." 

Abbey poked her head back out from the bathroom. "Are you trying to turn me on now?" 

"Yeah," Jed grinned sweetly. 

"All right." She left him to go back in the bathroom. 

"I won the Dakotas, the Badlands, the Black Hills. But, let's go down, way down, to the Deep South and the humid bayou of Louisiana and its nine electoral votes. What manner of man it must take to win the state, which, by the way, is the only one operating under the Napoleonic Code of France and I still don't know what that's all about, but back to me." He dabbed drops of the martini behind his ears knowing Abbey would find them. 

"Hon," Abbey's head poked back out. "Is this like nerd hot talk?" She moved forward to take the martini he held out to her. 

"Who's your Commander in Chief?" Jed held the drink back until she answered appropriately. 

"You are," Abbey gave him a sidelong coquettish look. 

"Yes!" Jed touched his glass to hers in victory. "And do the ladies like him?" he continued, as Abbey took her drink and made her way back to the bathroom. "Oh yes. To the tune of 58%…" 

A knock at the door interrupted the roll that Jed was on. "Yeah," he called out, as Charlie opened the door. 

"I'm sorry, sir." Charlie had seen the First Lady enter the bedroom just moments before and had been hoping their celebration had not progressed to the point where he would draw his boss' wrath. He was gratified to see the President still in his bathrobe and the First Lady nowhere in sight. 

"I thought we had an understanding with regard to tonight and interruptions, Charlie. I thought we were men." 

"Yes, I'm sorry, but Sam said…" 

"Sam needs to see me?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"It's like, what, 1:00 in the morning?" Jed gave a slight frown of worry. 

"Yes, sir." 

"Well, let's send him in." 

"Good evening, Mr. President," Sam entered the room. 

"Good to see you." 

Sam missed the sarcasm completely. "I hope I'm not here at a bad time." 

"No, what would make you say that?" 

This time the sarcasm was not lost on Sam and his eyes quickly scanned the romantic atmosphere of the room, the candles and firelight and music. "Actually it looks as if I couldn't have picked a worse time." 

"No, no, you could have," Jed assured him, knowing exactly where he wanted to be in the next half-hour. "And I'm not going to take any chances, so let's do it now." 

"Horton Wilde won in the 47th." 

"I know." 

"There's going to be a special election." 

"Yeah." 

"And, uh, to make a long story short, you might be asked first thing tomorrow if you're endorsing me." 

"Am I?" 

"Well, I'm not really running." 

"Then I'm behind you 100%." 

"Look…" 

"Man, is everything all right?" 

"Yeah, I made a promise to the widow in a moment of…" 

"Hello, Mr. President…" the sound of the First Lady's sexy baby doll voice had both men turning to see her standing in the doorway wearing just a silk pajama top and red high heels, her martini in her hand. It was obvious she hadn't heard Sam's entry. 

"Hey, Mrs. Bartlet," Sam tried to cover his discomfort, after all he'd intruded in worse situations, namely when she'd been giving birth to the twins. 

"Oh, my God." Abbey rolled her eyes with irritation. 

"Yeah, look, honey, Sam stopped by." 

Abbey mustered a fake smile. "Hi, Sam." 

Sam ran appreciative eyes up the First Lady's remarkable shapely legs. "Hi," his voice was warm, and Jed picked up on the slightly husky tone. 

"Eyes front, mister," he demanded. 

Sam's eyes immediately snapped back to the President and within a minute he was gone. 

"Okay, now where were we?" Jed made his way back to his wife. 

"You sure you don't want to wait to see who's coming next?" 

"Nobody's coming next. I told Charlie to keep everyone out." 

"Well, he's done a good job so far." Abbey shook her head, sat down on the couch and crossed her slender legs, knowing how her husband would react to that move. She noted with feminine pleasure that his eyes were now glued to her legs and she stretched out so the silk top would ride higher up to reveal much of her thighs. As if pulled by a magnetic force, Jed took a step toward her but before he reached the couch there was another knock on the door. 

"Damn," he swore. 

"See, I told you there would be more visits." 

"I think that's the snack I ordered," he said. 

Abbey pulled a couple of throw pillows over her lap to keep herself fairly discreetly covered while the steward pushed in a cart loaded with Jed's elegant little snack. 

"As you can see we've moved on to the caviar course," he told her. 

"I love caviar," Abbey flung the pillows off her lap at the steward's departure. 

"I know how you do. Stoli Cristall, the most elegant of vodkas." He handed Abbey a glass and they both sipped the alcohol. Abbey could feel a definite tingle and delicious lethargy in her limbs by now. She was definitely getting a little buzzed. 

"The caviar itself is a product of my advice at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. We passed a much more stringent bill against the poaching of Caspian Sea sturgeons." 

"This is Oklahoma caviar?" 

"California white sturgeon from the Stillman Sea Farm in Elverta. Only the best." 

Abbey shivered as if turned on. "Stop, it's getting hot in here." 

Jed started to hand her a plate with caviar. "Oh, I think you're going to find…" 

There was another knock at the door. "Excuse me," he turned from Abbey toward the door and, resigned, Abbey grabbed the pillows to cover herself, yet again. Maybe they would have been better off if Jed had just pounced on her when she'd first entered the room she thought crossly. 

Jed opened the door to see Charlie again. "Good evening, Mr. President." 

"How you doing?" 

Charlie could see that the President was starting to get irritated. "I'm fine, thank you, sir. I'm sorry, but Leo needs to see you." 

"Okay, anyone else?" 

"Yes, sir, then Toby." 

"Yeah. You're young, Charlie. Don't you want to be having fun right now?" 

"Yes, sir, but I work for you." 

"I get that a lot." 

Charlie stepped away and as Leo approached, Jed gave a quick look back to make sure that Abbey was covered up properly. That look was not lost on Abbey. Her husband had not checked when it was Charlie or the steward but Leo was still a whole other ballgame. 

"Good evening, sir." 

"Yes?" 

"You look sharp." 

"Thank you." 

Leo looked past Jed to see Abbey on the couch, her bare legs crossed, her lap covered with pillows. He could see right away that he was intruding on a romantic evening between the two. 

"Hey, Abbey." 

"Hi, Leo." Abbey tried to sound unconcerned but if Leo was dragging her husband away to the Situation Room, she was going to twist his balls off. Evidently, that wasn't the case. She tuned out most of their talk but her ears perked when Jordan was mentioned. 

"Jordan still here?" Jed asked. 

"Yeah." 

"All right. Have a good night." 

Leo knew exactly to what his friend was referring. Jed wanted him to get laid, as if making love to Jordan would erase any of the feelings that he had for Abbey. Leo immediately brushed those thoughts away as uncharitable. Jed might have an ulterior motive, but ultimately Leo knew that his friend just wanted him to be happy. It wasn't Jed's fault that he was so full of insecurities. It wasn't Jed's fault that he was terrified if he made love to Jordan he might unconsciously call out Abbey's name when he climaxed, for it was her name that he cried out when he was all alone with only his own hand able to give him release from the sweet torture of sexual need. 

Abbey's impatience grew stronger as Toby replaced Leo at the door. 

"Good evening, sir." 

"Hi." 

"Good evening, Mrs. Bartlet." As Sam and Leo had done before, Toby took in the First Lady's state of undress. She did have mighty fine legs. "That's a lovely housecoat you're wearing." 

"Thank you," Abbey smiled sweetly and took another sip of her vodka. If Jed's staff didn't stop interrupting them she was going to move very quickly from tipsy to drunk. 

"Listen, I'm kind of in the middle of something. Is this anything that could possibly wait until tomorrow?" 

"Of course it is, Mr. President. I'm sorry." Toby was embarrassed at having interrupted the President's personal romantic celebration for news that definitely could have waited until morning, but all at once he couldn't stop. He had to tell him. "Really, I stopped by 'cause I hadn't told you that Andy's pregnant. It's twins, and of course, I'm the father." 

"Well, that's great. Well done. See you tomorrow." Jed closed the door eager to get on with seducing his wife." 

"Jed!" Abbey was appalled by his behavior. "Toby! Get in here," she called out, and, jumping to her feet began belting a robe around her waist. Jed reluctantly re-opened the door and Toby entered the room. 

"I was this close," Jed told him reproachfully. 

"Andy's pregnant?" Abbey, at least, seemed to be thrilled by the news. 

"Yeah, it's, uh, twins – a boy and a girl, just like yours." 

"That is the most wonderful news." She cupped his head in her hands and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to cry." 

"You should marry that girl, Toby," Jed said sternly. 

"I'm doing my best, sir." 

"How far along is she?" Abbey asked, more interested in the pregnancy at the moment then the state of Toby and Andy's relationship. 

"End of May. I have a picture." 

Abbey eagerly took the ultrasound picture from him. 

"Wait a second," Jed's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "End of May?" 

Abbey turned to sit and gaze at the picture. She was a veteran at deciphering ultrasounds and sonograms by now and she was looking at tiny limbs and large hearts. "Oh boy, this is going to…" 

"Hang on," Jed halted her enthusiasm. "I'm doing the math in my head. Yeah, end of May? Why didn't you tell us until now?" 

"Jed," Abbey chastised him, still gazing at the picture as only another mother could, seeing not a fetus but a baby. "He doesn't need a reason." 

"Yeah, but he's got one." 

"The truth is, I don't, sir. At least not a good one. I was intimidated by your Catholicism." 

"Really?" Jed said with surprise. His faith was an integral part of who he was, but he never thought that he'd been judgmental or intractable with others because of it. "It's my Catholicism, Toby. It works for me." 

"And me," Abbey added. 

"And her. Did you break any laws?" 

"No, sir." 

"Then, a blessing on your house, young man. Mazel Tov." 

"Thank you, sir. Thank you, ma'am." 

As Jed escorted him out of the room, Toby gazed at the cart. "Is that caviar there?" he asked. 

"Not really, no," Abbey sighed. 

"Let's go." Jed ushered the man out then turned back to his wife. 


	30. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"Why didn't you tell me Toby and Andy got back together?" Abbey asked. 

"How do you know they're back together?" 

"Well, uh, Jed. Do I have to explain to you how babies are made? I'd say that if they're having sex they're back together." 

"What I meant was that it didn't seem to me that Toby was making much headway in getting Andy to marry him again." 

"She'll see the light. She's carrying his children now; that has to mean something." Abbey thought of her own pregnancies. She had never felt quite as close to Jed, quite as connected, as she did when she was carrying his child inside her belly. "Just think, Aislinn and Nicky will have another set of twins to play with. They can…" 

Jed's hand gently covered Abbey's mouth. 

"Jed!" Abbey twisted out of his grip. 

"No more talk about Toby or Andy or babies or ANYTHING. The time for talk is over." 

"And you think I'M bossy?" 

"I was just re-elected Commander in Chief of the United States of America. You know what that means, don't you?" 

"Enlighten me, please." She stood with a hand on her hip. 

"It means that when I give an order people jump." 

"And does that always work for you?" 

"I don't know. Let me give it a try. Take off your clothes." 

Abbey eyed him for a long moment then decided that if played properly this game could be a lot of fun. "Aye Aye, sir." She saluted him, then set to work unbuttoning the pajama top, slowly, agonizingly slowly for Jed. She allowed the top to slide off her shoulders and down her fingertips until she stood before her husband bare breasted, wearing nothing but a tiny triangular scrap of red and black lace panties and her red high heels. 

Abbey stood completely still, gratified that just looking at her could cause that ravenous look on Jed's face, could cause his breath to quicken as it had. Her husband was a hungry man and she knew that despite their game to the contrary, she could easily cause him to become putty in her hands. Instead, she kept her eyes locked with his as he moved silently forward, the air filled with sexual electricity. He reached a hand out to gently trace the delicate curve of her collarbone with his fingertip before finally allowing it to trail down over her chest and graze over her nipple feeling it stiffen immediately under his touch. Abbey had always been an incredibly responsive woman. He gave a slight grin at her soft intake of breath and pulled her into her arms to dance. 

There was something incredibly sexy and naughty about dancing naked in her husband's arms while he was still completely dressed. Her nipples pressed sensuously against the silk of his robe and she felt his lips nuzzling sweetly against the curve of her neck. She shivered with desire as his fingers traced their way up and down the curve of her spine, but it was only when he finally gripped her rear in his hands and pulled her up against him hard that she knew whatever problems Jed had had with his illness earlier it had not affected his libido. He was hard, rock hard against her. 

Jed grinned as he felt Abbey press herself into him knowing that she had been studiously avoiding that part of his anatomy all night. "You want some of that, eh?" 

"Oh yeah," she sighed tearing at the belt on his robe. 

"All in due time." 

"Jed," she protested. 

"Abbey, I'm your Commander in Chief." 

"Then command me. I'm ready." 

Jed grinned; she wasn't going to make prolonging this easy for him. 

"Take off your panties and lay back on the bed. I'm going to show you how I won this election." 

"Jed," she protested, as she slid her panties down over her hips and thighs finally kicking them out of her way. "I thought we were going to have sex, not an electoral lecture." She would have thought that he was stalling because he was having difficulty staying hard, but she could see his swollen erection tenting his pajama bottoms. He wanted her, of that she was sure. 

"I promise you. You're going to enjoy this lecture." He pointed to the bed. 

Abbey did as commanded. She lay back on the bed stretching out and arching her back so that she tantalizingly thrust her breasts up at him. It took all Jed's willpower to resist those amazing full breasts and instead stretch out next to her. 

"Are you ready for that electoral lecture now?" 

"I suppose. If that's your idea of foreplay." 

"It is. You see, my love, I won all along the gently curving coastline of New England." His lips began trailing along her jaw, nibbling and teasing her before beginning the path down her throat. "And I won in the place where only you and I knew that I'd do well. The heartland." His lips burned a trail across her chest, feeling her heartbeat quicken as he moved further along his electoral path over the slope of one full ripe breast. 

"I won in Wyoming, home of the Great Tetons with their magnificent peaks." His tongue curled over her nipple teasing it until it was hard and distended. Only then did he pull it into his mouth, suckling her with a hungry greed until the ache was so strong deep in Abbey's belly that she began lifting her hips toward him restlessly, her breath coming in soft little pants. 

"Then, of course, I did well as we move south from those Great Tetons, down to the breadbasket of America where the fertile land is plowed, the seed generously planted, the harvest reaped." Abbey gave a soft sound of disapproval as he left her breasts, but it didn't take long for her to get just as caught up with his next destination. Jed's teeth scraped over the soft rise of her lower belly where he'd sewn many a seed over the years, his tongue dipping into her navel. Abbey's hands clutched at the sheets, desperate for him to move lower to ease the pulsing ache between her legs. 

"I even did well way down in the Deep South, in the dark, damp, humid bayous of Louisiana." He brushed his cheek against the copper curls that covered Abbey's sex, inhaling her musky perfume and kissing her there softly before sitting up abruptly. 

"Spread your legs," he ordered softly. "Let me look at you." 

Abbey's moss green eyes, slumberous with desire, met Jed's as she slowly parted her thighs for him. The glittering look of passion that filled his eyes at the sight of her was enough to cause Abbey to raise her hips to him in silent invitation. He knelt between her legs, gently pushing her knees even further apart, his eyes growing hooded, hungry. She felt his fingers move teasingly up the tender flesh of her inner thighs and, her stomach tightening, she held her breath in delicious anticipation. When his fingers finally touched her, tracing the seam of her core, Abbey closed her eyes, her back arching in complete sexual surrender. 

The knock on the door stopped Jed just as his mouth settled on her. 

"Sir?" It was Charlie's voice. 

"Nooooo…." Abbey wailed with frustration her fists pounding the bed, as Jed stopped what he was doing to look toward the door. She rolled to her side and grabbed the first thing she could find throwing it as hard as she could toward the door. The crystal vase shattered loudly upon impact, water and flowers scattering. 

"I guess the President is finished with meetings tonight, Ms. Cregg," Jed heard the young man say and they were left with the sound of CJ's chuckle as she departed. 

"Well, I was going to tell Charlie we were busy but breaking a five thousand dollar vase was, I suppose, more effective." 

"I thought so," Abbey's voice was husky now, needy, and Jed began to nibble his way back up her inner thigh. This time when his mouth settled on her there were no interruptions. 

"Jeeeddd…" She gasped in ecstasy as his tongue found her clitoris, giving it long wet strokes. 

"Do you remember the first time I kissed you here? The first time I put my mouth on you?" He flicked at her with the very tip of his tongue. 

"Mmm…." Abbey was quickly losing any coherent thought. 

"You came the instant my tongue touched you." 

"I like it," she groaned softly, her fingers gripping the sheets. 

"I know how you do." Jed went to work in earnest then, his tongue slipping between her folds into the wet swollen depths of her. 

Abbey tried to watch him; it was so amazingly erotic to watch her husbands bronze head cradled between her thighs as he pleasured her with his mouth and tongue. But, soon the pleasure was too much. She closed her eyes and threw her head back surrendering all control of her body to the ecstasy her husband was creating. She knew then that she wouldn't care if Jed's entire cabinet walked through the door. All she cared about were the sensations running through her body. Sensations that made her stomach tense and her thighs quiver, sensations that caused those soft moans and animalistic little whimpers to emanate from her. She moved restlessly against the bed lifting her pelvis to Jed's mouth, her fingers tearing at the sheets. 

"Please…please…. please…." It was all she could think to say. She felt her orgasm building deep inside and tried to stop it. She didn't want to come, not yet, this felt too good. And yet, in the next instant as Jed slid two fingers inside her, his teeth nibbling at her over-sensitized clitoris she knew that if she didn't come soon she was going to die from the pleasure of her husband's mouth and magical tongue. 

She felt the coil tightening within her, felt the near pain as her entire body tensed at the pinnacle of desire and then her husband sucked her tiny swollen nub between his lips and she arched off the bed screaming his name with her release, convulsions ripping uncontrollably through her slender body. 

Abbey lay back panting softly, trying to regain her breath her eyes closed. Jed still lay between her thighs, his cheek brushing against her soft damp curls kissing her there every so often to prolong the pulsing little aftershocks. When he finally felt her legs fall limply to the bed, he looked up at her resting his chin on her pubic bone. 

"That was for New Hampshire," he gave her a cute, sweet little smile. 

"Hunh?…What?" Abbey was still trying to regain her wits, her body still trembling from the blistering orgasm. 

"I said that was for winning New Hampshire for me. Thank you." 

"Well, uh…you're welcome." 

Jed got up on his knees sliding his pajama bottoms down to reveal his enormous erection. Abbey's body gave an involuntary little pulse at the sight even as she wondered if she was quite ready for another round. Jed didn't give her much choice. She watched his hand close over his engorged penis to help guide it for entry. Abbey's fingers itched with jealousy and the need to feel all that satiny hardness in her own hand. 

"Let me," she ordered throatily. Jed relinquished his hold, groaning as Abbey's softer more professional hand took over. He was already damp with the excited drops of emission that had come forth while he pleasured her. He closed his hand over hers guiding it up and down his shaft, remembering how he had taught her how to do this, taught her what felt good to him. She had been a very good pupil. Too good. 

"Abbey…" 

She heard the strain in his voice and before she thought she was really ready for another dizzying ride, she guided him to her entrance gasping when he plunged into her with more force than either had expected. He hovered over her then completely still for one long moment, his eyes locked with hers, this woman who had given him so much love and support and pleasure over the years. The woman who allowed him to have this night, this victory, his wife, his lover. 

"I love you," he groaned, pushing her hair back from her face. "My God, how I love you." He crushed his lips to hers kissing her deeply, thoroughly, his tongue and lips still tasting of her. Abbey clung to him, her fingernails digging into his back as he began to thrust his thick hard length into her. She lifted her knees higher up around his waist meeting him thrust for thrust, needing him harder, deeper, and faster. Jed complied. He was Commander in Chief again, taking, possessing, making her his, proving to her that he was still the virile lover she'd always known. 

As impossible as Abbey had thought it just a few moments before, her body began to tighten, her soft cries filling the room. She watched her husband making love to her – his jaw tight, his face strained, his eyes closed. She felt the beads of sweat drip from his chest to her breasts. She heard his deep groans grow more and more ragged until finally he went rigid, his penis seeming to swell even larger as he exploded within her crying her name to the ceiling. Then suddenly she couldn't think anymore, the bursts of semen sending her over the edge into her own seemingly endless orgasm. The contractions within her continued to milk Jed for what seemed like ages, until finally he collapsed on her completely spent. Abbey held him there; her legs still locked over his back unable to let him leave her body, unable to allow this perfect moment to end. She felt his lips moving against her hair, whispering of his satisfaction, "You're so good…so good…you feel so damn good…you're going to make me come forever." And, as she started coming down from the high there were soft endearments "You're so soft…so soft…I love you what you do to me…love you so much, Abbey, I love you so much." 

"I love you too, baby," she murmured, tears stinging her eyes, her fingers stroking through his soft thick hair. "I love you…" 

And then they were quiet, their breathing becoming more normal, the world spinning back to its proper axis. Abbey felt Jed softening inside her and she sighed with a soft sound of disappointment when he lifted himself from her body leaving her feeling suddenly empty. Jed didn't allow her that feeling of emptiness for long. As he settled back against the pillows he pulled her up hard against his side his movements possessive. It was different tonight and both of them knew it. It wasn't about the election battles or spoils of war; it was about defeating his illness and proving he was still the man he had always been, and that God willing, he always would be. 

Abbey cuddled up tightly to his side, throwing her knee up over his thighs just as Jed's big warm hand cupped over the curve of her bare ass. Tears of relief stung her eyes as she nuzzled into his torso, her fingers brushing lightly over his chest hair. She was so busy thanking God that today's symptoms had merely been due to being over tired and the stress of the election and hadn't actually been an attack that she was startled when Jed spoke. 

"Abbey, there's something I need to say," he continued to stroke her hair with his other hand. 

Abbey held her breath waiting for some profound statement about his health or what the next ten years might bring. She wasn't ready for that, didn't want this moment spoiled by what ifs, but she was his wife. She would listen to him, comfort him and help him to control his fears. "Okay, say it." 

"I'm hungry." 

"What?!" Abbey sat up indignant with him for making her think the worse. 

"I said I'm hungry. That caviar didn't exactly fill me up." 

"Well, don't expect me to get up and make you something to eat. I'm tired and you wiped me out. Multiple orgasms always leave me boneless. I couldn't walk right now if I tried." 

"Really? I was that good?" 

"As if you had to ask, you egomaniac." She pinched his nipple sharply causing Jed to yelp. 

"Hey, hey, watch the merchandise. I have bodyguards right outside that door, you know." 

"You don't say?" 

"Hey, I've got an idea," He sat up with boyish enthusiasm. "We have servants." 

"We do? How come I was never told?" 

Jed ignored the smart-ass comment and continued on. "I'm going to order something up. What do you want?" 

"To go to sleep. Jed, it's after two." 

"But I'm hungry," he whined. "We can have a naked picnic in bed." 

There was nothing more appealing than her husband in a full-blown little boy whine. "Okay, fine, but don't order anything heavy or you'll never get to sleep." 

"Yes, ma'am," he teased. 

Abbey smiled as she heard him call down to the kitchen asking them to send up some black olives, a loaf of French bread, some smoked Gouda and a bowl of fresh fruit salad. She was sure the fruit salad was simply to appease her. 

They were still snuggled up in bed when the steward knocked at the door. Jed jumped up and pulled on his pajama bottoms while Abbey yanked the covers up over her chest. 

"Jed," Abbey stopped him as he started toward the door. "Don't forget about the broken glass. Put your slippers on." 

Jed had forgotten about the broken vase and now he grinned as he took in the shattered remnants while putting on his slippers. "Pedro Martinez doesn't have anything on you Mrs. B.. You've got one hell of an arm." 

"It helps if you're frustrated." 

"And have the temper of an Irish red head." He grinned back at her. 

"Watch it. There are more vases in this room." 

Jed chuckled and made his way gingerly through the glass to the door to admit the steward with their post coital snack. Standing in the doorway, Charlie couldn't help but notice all the glass and flowers lying on the wet carpet. 

"Sir, would you like me to get someone up here to take care of this?" he asked. 

"Charlie, go home…" 

"But, sir, somebody could get hurt. I could just…" 

"Charlie, I'm getting back into that bed and I'm not getting out until seven a.m.." 

"Yes, sir." Charlie very nearly blushed as he took in the First Lady's disheveled obviously naked form still in the bed. 

Satisfied that Charlie would go home, Jed turned to head back to his wife for their snack. As he turned around, Charlie gave a sharp intake of breath at seeing the scratch marks that ran down the President's back. 

"What?" Jed turned around to face the young man. 

Charlie could feel his face flushing terribly as he realized right away just how the President had gotten those welts and just who had dug her nails down his back with such passionate force. But, there was no way of backing out gracefully now, the President wanted an answer. 

"Uh…it's just…well…I just saw your back and…uh…" 

"And you didn't know I was married to such a she-cat," Jed stated under his breath so that Abbey wouldn't hear. 

"Yes, I did…I mean…uh…no I…" 

"It's okay, Charlie. We're men." Jed gave him a conspiratorial wink and patted him on the back. "Go home and crawl into bed 'cause that is exactly what I'm going to do." 

"Yes, sir." Charlie was thrilled to get out of the awkward situation. 

"What did you say to poor Charlie?" Abbey asked when they were alone again. 

"I didn't say anything, sweet buns." Jed picked a strawberry out of the fruit salad and slipped it between his wife's lips. "Charlie was just telling me he thinks you're a she-cat in bed." 

Abbey bit into the succulent strawberry. "You're incorrigible." 

"Yeah, but you love me that way." He leaned forward to lick a drop of juice off her bottom lip. 

"You know what?" She leaned back to eye him speculatively. "I actually do." 

"I knew it all the time." 


	31. Everyday Is a Winding Road

It was a few weeks after the election. Thanksgiving had come and gone and the Bartlets were preparing to leave the White House for Christmas in New Hampshire. Before leaving, however, Abbey had invited Toby and Andy over for dinner at the Residence. She'd felt bad by what she perceived to be her and Jed's less than stellar performance the night they'd been informed about the upcoming birth and she wanted to make sure that both Toby and Andy knew that they were behind them 100% no matter what they chose to do and no matter what the press had to say about things. She knew the couple was already starting to receive flak about having the children without the benefit of marriage. In regular society it would hardly have been shocking, but Toby was a senior advisor to the President and Andy was a congresswoman, so it hadn't taken long for their predicament to become fodder for newsmagazine shows and the tabloids. 

Abbey watched her husband lead the couple into the living room for coffee after their dinner. She knew that Jed had been hurt and perplexed by Toby's reference to being intimidated by his Catholicism. That Jed was a devout Catholic was not news to anyone in the White House; however, Abbey had never known a man more tolerant of other religions, other cultures, other points of view and of the ultimate frailty of human nature, at least when those failures didn't hurt another person, than her husband. He definitely held himself to a strict moral code but he made mistakes just like everyone else. And, while there were times that he felt disappointed in his fellow man, he had never been judgmental of his friends or his staffers unless warranted. She knew that he wanted Toby to know that. While he hoped that Toby and Andy would remarry, if they didn't, he was not going to look down on them for having their family out of wedlock. Children were a blessing, a gift from God, no matter what the circumstances. It was a belief he had always held and one that he had only questioned once in their married life; a question that had caused him to remain pro-choice despite the stance his religion took on the issue. 

"So, you're moving into your fifth month," Abbey said, as they settled in. It was telling that while Abbey sat next to Jed on the couch, Andy chose to sit separately in a chair, across the room from Toby. "That's always the best time in a pregnancy. No more morning sickness and yet you're not so huge you can't see your feet anymore." 

"I never really had a lot of morning sickness," Andy said. "Just a little nausea every now and again. I think I only threw up a couple of times." 

"You're lucky. I got hit with it pretty bad in all my pregnancies," Abbey lamented. 

"Especially the last one," Jed added. "Remember that prayer breakfast we went to with all the leaders of the major denominations?" 

"Jed–" 

"No, this is good. We'd just all bowed our head in silent prayer when Abbey gets a whiff of the quiche and jumps to her feet, spilling her coffee in a Rabbi's lap. In her haste to get out of there, she kicked her chair over – LOUDLY, I might add – and barely made it out of the room before heaving everywhere. Apparently, according to the press corps, she was this close to nailing Sam Donaldson." He held his thumb and forefinger just inches apart. 

"Thank you for that wonderful visual, Jed." Abbey shot him a sarcastic look. "But, Andrea Mitchell did say that she'd pay me if I could do that on command all over Rush Limbaugh. Unfortunately I never got the chance." 

They were all laughing when Isabelle entered the room with a crying Aislinn. 

"Mumma, Mumma," Aislinn twisted in Izzy's arms reaching out toward where her mother was sitting. It was obvious that she had been crying for a while. 

"Mrs. Bartlet, I'm sorry to interrupt you but Aislinn woke up with a bad dream and she's crying for you. I can't console her." 

Abbey was already on her feet heading for her daughter. "Excuse me," she turned back to her guests "I have to go settle her down." 

"Mind if I join you?" Andy asked. "I need the practice." 

"Be my guest." 

"What is it, baby?" Abbey took Aislinn into her arms and the little girl buried her face into her mother's. "Did you have a bad dream?" 

Aislinn nodded against Abbey's neck. "Bad mukeys…bad mukeys." 

"Did they convince you to watch _The Wizard of Oz_ , by chance?" Abbey asked Isabelle while she stroked her daughter's hair soothingly. 

"Yes. Is that what she's upset about?" 

"Nicky's terrified of the wicked witch but for Aislinn it's the flying monkeys that give her nightmares. Is that what you dreamed about, sweetheart? Did you dream about those mean old monkeys?" 

"Bad mukeys…" Aislinn looked up at her mother, her face blotchy with tears. 

"They ARE bad monkeys," Abbey agreed. "But, you know what? Monkeys aren't really bad and they can't fly and get Aislinn or Nicky or Mommy or Daddy because monkeys don't really fly." 

"Mukey fye," Aislinn nodded. She'd just watched them fly on TV. Abbey knew she wasn't going to get anywhere trying to reason with a toddler over the difference between reality and TV. 

"Okay, well, do you think Max would let the monkeys get you?" 

"No…Maxy bahk." 

"That's right, Maxy would bark and he wouldn't let a mean old monkey take Aislinn away. So, I'll tell you what. Let's go back to bed and I'll let Max sleep in your room tonight." 

"Nooo…." Aislinn's tears started up again. "Mumma 'tay, Mumma 'tay." 

"Yes, sweetheart, Mommy will stay until you fall asleep. Okay?" 

Aislinn sniffled and nodded against Abbey's chest, but as Abbey turned to leave, Aislinn squirmed in her arms. "Dada kiss…pease Mumma." She lifted big watery pleading eyes to Abbey. 

"Okay, you can give Daddy another kiss goodnight but then it's back to bed." She set Aislinn down and the little girl scampered over to her father catapulting herself against him. 

"Night, night, Dada…kiss." She lifted her pursed lips up to him and Jed kissed her gently. 

"Night night, sunshine." Jed pulled her in for a quick cuddle. "Now you go back to bed and be good for Mommy." He patted her behind and sent her on back to Abbey who lifted her into her arms. Then the two of them, along with Andy, headed down the hall to the nursery. 

"She's a really good mom," Toby said quietly, admiring the way Mrs. Bartlet hadn't pooh poohed her daughter's nightmare. That she had taken the little girl's very real fears seriously and had come up with a solution all could be happy with. He'd always known she was a good mother but watching her get right to her feet to take her daughter from the nanny and not berate the woman for interrupting her really showed what they had tried to convey to the press. That Mrs. Bartlet truly was a hands-on mother. 

"Yeah, she is." Jed smiled proudly. The smile left his face when he noticed the almost wistful look on Toby's face. "Is something wrong?" he asked. 

"No…well, uh, yes, I guess there is. I've been just sitting here listening to you and Mrs. Bartlet and I remember what it was like when she was pregnant with the twins. I remember you coming into the Oval exhausted because she'd had a bad night or gushing with excitement because one of the babies woke you up with a kick. I'm just starting to realize that I'm not going to have that with Andy. I never held her hair back while she threw up with morning sickness; I'm not there to run out and get food in the middle of the night when she has a craving or to massage her back when she's having a bad night. I'll never be sleeping close enough to her for my child to kick me awake." 

"You two made a baby. She must have feelings for you. Even if it was just one night of passion, at least there was that connection." 

Toby's eyes were downcast. He hadn't broached the twins' conception with anyone yet. "We didn't exactly make a baby the old fashioned way. There was no passion involved." 

"I'm not following you." 

"Before Andy and I divorced, we were trying to have a baby. We'd tried the natural way for years and it wasn't working so we decided to try in vitro. It didn't work for us and I think it was part of the reason we separated. Andy wanted a baby so badly. I guess it didn't matter as much to me. I was caught up with the campaign and then winning the election and I neglected what she wanted most in the world." 

"What are you saying, Toby?" 

"I'm saying that after we divorced Andy continued to try to get pregnant in vitro with my sperm. I don't think she ever thought it would take, but it did and now we're going to be parents, separate parents. I'm only going to see my kids every other Sunday, if then. I won't get to kiss my daughter good night the way that you just did with Aislinn. You don't know how lucky you are." 

"Oh, yes, I do. Believe me, Toby, I do. Are you planning to be there for the birth?" 

"I don't know. Andy hasn't asked me. She's having a C-section." 

"You have to be there, Toby. Regardless of your relationship with Andy, there is no more humbling experience or greater miracle than watching your child enter the world. Those were the five most precious moments of my life." 

Toby stared at the President. If he'd ever doubted what kind of man Jed Bartlet was, that one statement would have told him. This was a man who had won a Nobel Prize, had been elected congressman, Governor and then President of the United States twice and the five most important days of his life were the days that his children had been born. 

"Can I ask you a question?" 

"One father to another?" 

"Yeah." 

"Did you want a boy for your first baby?" 

"No. I wanted Elizabeth, whatever sex she might be. A healthy baby with ten fingers and ten toes and that's just what I got. I love my son, and there is something wonderful about having a son, but there is nothing like being a daddy to a little girl, Toby. Just wait, you'll see. The moment they place that wet crying baby girl in your arms, she is going to have you wrapped around her little finger so tight you'll never get free. It doesn't matter that her head is smeared with blood and birthing fluids and her face is all scrunched up and red from crying, she is going to be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen in your life." 

Toby hoped he was right because deep inside he was terrified that he was not going to be able to love his children the way that a father was supposed to, that he didn't have what it took to be a good dad. 

"You still look skeptical." 

"I guess I am. I mean I know those feelings were true for you but that doesn't mean that I'll feel the same way. I didn't exactly have a great role model. My father spent more time in prison than he did at home." 

"And Leo's father killed himself, Sam's father had a mistress and my father was a hard ass. We aren't our fathers, Toby." 

"I hope to hell not." 

"When Abbey told me she was pregnant with Elizabeth, I felt the same way that you do right now. I don't think there is any new father-to-be that doesn't have doubts. It's just a little stronger with us. And don't think Andy doesn't have the same doubts. New mothers aren't immune to fears. Believe me, Abbey wasn't always the cool, confident mother that you see now." 

"Abbey was nervous?" 

"Uh, yeah, you could say that. I think it may even be worse for our women since they're the ones that have to bring the little ones into the world; they're the ones who nourish them and ultimately they are their primary caregivers. They have a hell of a lot more to worry about than we do." 

"Hmmm…I hadn't thought about that. I really don't know how Andy is feeling about all of that. I guess I should talk to her." 

"I guess you should. Being a father-to-be is as much about supporting your child's mother as it is about supporting your child." 

**** 

By the time the women made it to the nursery, Nicholas was whimpering sleepily in his crib and asking for his mother and his binkie. 

"This is something that you better get used to," Abbey told Andy, as she moved with Aislinn still clutched around her neck to Nicky's crib to search for his binkie. "When one wakes up you can pretty much rest assured that the other won't be far behind. Makes it tough when you're nursing. You can nurse them both at once, but it isn't easy. Most of the time I'd have Jed or Izzy give one a bottle of breast milk while I nursed the other and then for the next feeding I'd switch. Are you going to breast feed them?" 

"I'm hoping to." Andy didn't tell the First Lady that she wasn't going to have Toby to help with those midnight feedings. 

"Well, a good breast pump is imperative. It's the only way you'll be able to keep up. I got a top of the line one at my baby shower, but let me tell you, those electric ones feel like they are going to suck your spine out through your breast. Jed used to refer to it as my medieval torture device and a lot of times that's exactly what it felt like." 

"Mumma…up…" Nicholas murmured as she placed his binkie to his lips, but it was a halfhearted demand, his eyes barely opening. 

"No, you stay in bed, little guy." Abbey continued to rub his back talking softly to him until the pacifier dropped from his lips. He promptly stuck his thumb in his mouth in its place and snuggled up to his Tigger to fall back to sleep. Abbey then moved from the crib and stopped at a small boom box that sat on top of the bureau to slide in a _Baby Lullaby_ CD. As the soft strains of Brahms filled the room, she made her way to the rocking chair to settle in and give Aislinn her bottle, rocking her gently as she drank. Clutching her blankie to her chest, Aislinn suckled sleepily with her head pillowed against mother's breasts. Every so often she would pause her sucking to rub a tiny fist over her heavy eyes as she fought falling asleep. 

Andy made her way quietly around the darkened nursery taking it all in. There were beautiful Noah's Ark murals all over the walls and little lion and giraffe nightlights in several sockets keeping the room from being truly dark. There were two cribs, two bureaus, two toy boxes with each child's name on them, and one changing table. Andy paused at the changing table, picking up different items and inhaling the definite baby scents of Caldesene powder, baby lotion, and Desitin. She took in digital thermometers, and old fashioned rectal thermometers with the bottle of Vaseline close by. She took in teething rings and a box of Zwieback cookies, baby Anbusol and baby Tylenol. She took in the many family pictures on the walls and on the shelves and bureaus. Pictures of the twins in their parents' arms just moments after their birth all the way through the most recent shots of them playing with the balloons on election night. 

She continued on to scan the titles of books in the bookshelf next to the changing table. The top shelves were definitely Abbey's and it looked like one or two for Jed. _Delivery Without Drugs, Meditations and Positive Thoughts for Pregnancy and Birth, The Thinking Woman's Guide for a Better Birth, Yoga for Pregnancy, Natural Mothering, What to Expect When Your Wife is Expanding, Surprise! It's Twins, Everything You Need to Know to Have a Healthy Twin Pregnancy, The Art of Parenting Twins, 20,001 Baby Names_ , beautiful art books of pregnant women and babies by Anne Geddes, and where the books left off there were stacks of _Parenting_ magazines. 

"Feel free to grab anything you'd like to borrow." Abbey told her. 

"There's so much. I don't know where to begin." Andy began pulling out a few of the titles that had caught her eye then continued checking out the other shelves in the bookcase. After the pregnancy and birth books, there was another shelf that held CDs. She glanced through the CDs noting that there was music to sleep by with several baby lullaby CDs including one in French and one in Spanish, _Return to Pooh Corner_ and lots of classical Brahms, Mozart and Handel. There was also music to play by with favorite children's car songs and soundtracks to what looked like every Disney movie ever made. The bottom shelves were crammed full of children's books. Jan Brett, Dr. Seuss and many many more. _Goodnight Moon_ and _Stellaluna_ lay face up on the floor making it obvious that they were favorites. 

Another bookshelf was stacked with puzzles, games, Playdoh, coloring books, crayons, and enough paste, Popsicle sticks, glitter, finger paint and construction paper to make a preschool envious. To the left of that shelf was a large three sided easel where the Bartlet toddlers could work on their masterpieces on the easel side or their ABCs on the chalkboard side. Little paint stained smocks lay over the easel seats waiting for the next time the budding young artists would want to create. 

"This place. It's just…it's magical." Andy sighed. "I can't imagine any child ever wanting to leave this room. Heck, I wouldn't want to leave this room." She moved closer to where Abbey sat, her fingers resting on Nicky's crib. 

"I'll let you in on a little secret," Abbey said. "When I need to unwind or I just want to be alone and relax, I like to come in here when the kids are asleep, put on one of their CDs and just sit in this rocking chair and watch them sleep." 

"There is a feeling of serenity in here." 

"Right now there is but you haven't been in here at two in the morning when they're both teething and screaming or in the afternoon when they're overtired and have twin tantrums because they don't want to put their crayons away." 

Andy gazed down at the sleeping Nicholas, a soft smile curving on her face. He was an adorable little boy, his fair hair falling over his forehead, his brow furrowing as he sucked on this thumb. He had kicked his blanket off and was wearing only a "SpongeBob" pajama top and a diaper; his pajama bottoms were at the foot of his crib. 

"Did you know that he's just in his diaper and shirt?" Andy asked, as she pulled the pajama top down to cover his round little belly. 

"Yes," Abbey sighed. "He hates sleeping in pajama bottoms. Most nights he takes them off and throws them out of his crib. It must be a guy thing." Abbey knew that Jed was most comfortable just sleeping in his boxers or in the nude. 

"Do you ever let them sleep in the same crib?" 

"I did, especially when they were babies. They really seemed to take comfort from each other. Sometimes I'd find them all wrapped up in the same position they used to curl up in when they were in the womb. I have ultrasound pictures of them in the same position. Now I'll let them do it when they're having a bad night, but most of the time if they're having a bad night, they end up in bed with Jed and me anyway. 

Andy finally sat in the chair across from Abbey and watched mother rocking daughter, longing for the day when she would do this with her own daughter. 

"She's beautiful, Abbey. I mean I know people say that about babies, but she really is beautiful." 

"Thank you," Abbey smiled, tucking a curl behind Aislinn's ear. "We like her." 

"This is all so…" She gestured around the room. "So overwhelming. I feel like there is so much that I have to learn. I have to admit I'm a bit nervous. I've wanted to be a mother for so long but now that I'm finally pregnant, I'm afraid that I'm not going to know what I'm doing. I mean what if I can't tell the difference between a wet cry and a hungry cry or when a fever is just a fever and not some terrible illness." 

"Believe me, that won't be a problem. There is something instinctual about being a mother." 

"You weren't nervous with your first pregnancy?" 

"Nervous? I was twenty years old and I was going to spend my whole pregnancy in a foreign country and give birth over a thousand miles away from my mother. Andy, I was terrified. But, like I said, once the baby is here your instincts just take over, well, that and a lot of phone calls to mom. But, I'll tell you. I did love being pregnant. I loved that earth mother feeling, especially once I made it to where you are now in your pregnancy. I never felt better and, of course, at this point all those hormones are kicking in and your sex drive just goes through the roof, don't you think?" 

Andy eyed Abbey suspiciously. "Doing a little fishing, Mrs. Bartlet?" 

Abbey met her gaze square on. "I guess I am. This came out of the blue, Andy. We had no idea that you and Toby were even thinking about reconciling so we don't know where you stand." 

"We're not reconciling. I wanted a baby. There were other things more important to Toby and we ended up divorced. Don't get me wrong, that wasn't the only reason we divorced, but it certainly did pull us apart. But getting divorced didn't change me wanting a baby. I continued with hormone treatments and I decided to give in vitro another shot. Surprisingly enough it took." 

"Did Toby know you were continuing to try to get pregnant with his sperm?" 

"Not exactly. But, he wasn't angry; he'd signed a release. He knows how much a baby means to me. It's just, he's a bit like your husband. He has that old fashioned streak in him... he wants to get married again." 

"And you don't?" 

"No, I don't. A part of me will always love Toby, but I'm not IN LOVE with Toby anymore. There is no way that I could live with him again. Do you know what it's like to live with a man who sees the world through such jaundiced eyes?" 

"No, I can't say that I do. I live with a man who tends to see it through rose tinted glasses." 

"I'd rather have that kind of lightness and optimism than the oppressive heaviness of negativity. I don't want my children raised in a home like that. I know that regardless of how I got pregnant, Toby is the biological father of these two babies and I want him to be a part of their life. I'm just not sure that I want him to be a part of mine. I know that it would be better for my kids to have a mother and a father living under the same roof, but not if we're all miserable there." She paused to watch Abbey slip the bottle from a sleeping Aislinn's mouth. "Do you think I'm a horrible person?" 

"No, you're honest." Abbey got to her feet and placed her sleeping daughter in her crib then began adjusting the covers over her. "If you don't love Toby, if you don't think it can work than you're right, you're better off not getting back together because it's only going to hurt the kids in the long run. But, if you feel even the slightest chance that you could make a go of it with Toby then you owe it to yourselves and those unborn children to give it a try." 

"I'll think about what you said. Toby and I really appreciate all the support you and the President have given us." 

"Did you think we wouldn't support you?" 

"Well, I felt you'd both take it in stride but Toby works so close with you and the President and he sees just how important your religion is to you both. I guess he felt that the President might have some old fashioned views about marriage and having babies out of wedlock." 

"Believe me, we aren't people to cast stones. I'm sure you know that I was three months pregnant with Elizabeth when Jed and I got married." 

"Yeah, but you DID get married. You were already engaged. You made a family." 

"Yes, we did. But our ideas about family are shaped as much from statistics as they are by our religion and I suppose they are old fashioned. Ideally, it would be nice for every child to live in a home with a mother AND a father, but we both know that we don't live in an ideal world and that it's not always possible or best for that type of situation. In the end you just do the best that you can. That's all any of us can do." Abbey kissed her fingertips and placed them to Aislinn's forehead as they prepared to depart the room. "I just hope that my husband remembers that when he meets Zoey's new French boyfriend tomorrow." 

"You don't think it will go well?" 

"Uh…no. Meeting a new boyfriend would be difficult for my husband under any circumstance but after talking to my daughter and getting this guy's biography, I'd have to say that Jean Paul de Bourbon has disaster written all over him." 

**** 

'Your mother is really hot.' Jean-Paul Pierre Claude Charpentier, Vicomte de Condé de Bourbon. Jed ran the name and what he'd overheard the young man telling Zoey over in his mind. What kind of a pompous ass was his daughter bringing home to Manchester? God, he wished he could have been there when Abbey had met the languid young Frenchman. Jean Paul was the embodiment of everything Abbey despised in a man – an aristocratic, stuffy, indolent jet setter. Eurotrash. He was going to be as out of place at their New Hampshire farm as anybody could be. But, as he had told Toby, his daughter had had him wrapped around her finger from the moment she came out of her mother's body and there was nothing that he could deny her. Zoey wanted to bring Jean Paul to New Hampshire and he had agreed, but that didn't mean that he had to like it and it sure didn't mean that her mother had to. 

"It's just a phase, right?" Jed asked his wife later that night as he watched her pack. "Tell me it's just a phase." 

"What's a phase?" 

"Jean Paul Maurice Chevalier Bourbon," he scowled. 

Abbey smiled tolerantly at her husband. "That's Vicomte de Condé de Bourbon, to you." 

"As much as I love it when you speak French to me, I have to ask, does he honestly think that I give a damn about his stupid, useless title?" 

"Some Americans do, darling." 

"Yeah, our daughter. How the hell could Zoey allow her head to be turned by that wastrel? We've seen these guys before, Abbey. He doesn't plan to do anything with his life but live off his title." 

"She's young, Jed. Give her a break." 

"Don't tell me you like him?" 

"It's not up to me. He's Zoey's boyfriend and she seems to like him." Abbey closed one suitcase and began on another. 

"He thinks you're hot." 

"Jed, what on earth are you talking about?" 

"I'm not making this up or imagining anything. I heard him telling Zoey that he thinks you're really hot." 

"I'm sure that went over well with Zoey." Abbey winced for her daughter but couldn't help the little twinge of vain pleasure that came from a man young enough to be her son finding her hot. 

"Abbey, tell me that boy did not get your hackles rising the minute he whipped off his ten names?" 

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have hackles." 

"Ooh, sweetness. I know you too well. There is no way that talking to this guy was not like nails running down a chalkboard to you. Your puritan work ethic is every bit as strong as mine, admit it." 

"Jed, our daughter is bringing this boy home for Christmas and I want YOU to make him feel welcome." 

"Abigail," He moved on her menacingly. "I'll make him feel as welcome as can be as soon as YOU admit that you don't like him." 

"I like him just fine." She stepped back away from him. 

"Abigail…" He had her pinned against the wall now. "Admit it. Let yourself be a judgmental mother." 

"I'm not a…." Abbey squealed as Jed reached his fingers under her armpits and began tickling her. "Jed…Jed…stop!" she cried, trying to twist away from him. 

"Not until you admit it, Abbey. I'm not the only one who doesn't like him…Admit it!" 

"Okay…Okay…. I can't STAND him. I DESPISE everything about him and his lifestyle and I hope to GOD that he is only a phase because the thought of him dating my daughter makes my skin crawl!" 

Jed stared at his wife for a moment, a little in awe of her outburst. "I just wanted you to say that you didn't like him," he said, as he let her go. "You didn't have to be so mean about it. Jeesh, I almost feel sorry for the guy having such a judgmental woman for his girlfriend's mother." It was all he could do to keep from laughing at the look of outrage on his wife's face. 

Abbey's response was to take the pair of pants she'd been packing and throw them at her husband's chest. 

"Bet you wish that was a shoe," he chuckled. 

"Damn straight." 

"Well, this should be an interesting Christmas, anyway. Never a dull moment at the Bartlets'." 

"Not with the Vicomte in the house anyway." 


	32. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Breakfast at the Bartlet farm was unlike anything Jean Paul de Bourbon had ever experienced. By the time he made his way down to the first floor, earlier than he would have liked, the entire family was up. Surprisingly, he found them seated at the kitchen table not in the more formal dining area. Mrs. Bartlet was in her bathrobe standing at the stove with Nicholas on her hip. She was singing softly along with radio, her hips swaying gently to the music as she danced with her son and continued to stir something on the burner. She paused every now and then to take a bite from the mashed banana in her small son's hand and to dip the boy to the strains of _Proud Mary_. 

" _Rollin', rollin' rollin' on the river,_ " she sang to the boy and he gave a hearty giggle as his mother dipped him nearly upside down with every "rollin'" she sang. 

Jean Paul didn't think he'd ever seen his mother in the kitchen, never mind cooking and singing in her nightclothes with a laughing babe in her arms. Cooking was the cook's job. Children were the nanny's responsibility and one did not appear at breakfast until fully dressed. He doubted his mother even knew the words to _Proud Mary_. It truly surprised Jean Paul that a woman as important as the First Lady did her own cooking and child rearing when she was out of the White House. 

The President surprised him almost as much. The leader of the free world sat with Zoey at the kitchen table wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt and was eating a plateful of eggs and toast while he chatted with his daughter. Aislinn sat in the high chair next to him dipping her plastic spoon into her scrambled eggs and getting it everywhere. She had obviously not mastered the art of using utensils yet. Jean Paul watched the little girl stick her fingers into the eggs and ketchup mixture and squeeze them bringing her fist up to her mouth for a bite, her face soon smeared with the mess. He could not believe that the President simply sat there with an amused look on his face while his child played with her food, ate with her fingers and generally made a mess. The man didn't even blink an eye when he picked her bottle up off the floor and she thanked him by pressing a sticky hand to his cheek. 

"Ah, you're up," Zoey smiled at her boyfriend. "Please sit down. There are eggs, French toast and cantaloupe here and Mom is making Nicky some oatmeal over there." 

"He's been on an oatmeal kick lately and that's all he'll eat, "Abbey added. "Just like Daddy it HAS to be MAPLE. They're two peas in a pod." 

"There is no other flavor even worth mentioning," Jed nodded. "Nicholas is a New England boy through and through and he has wonderful taste." 

"So what'll it be?" Abbey turned to the young man who eyed the seat next to Aislinn's messy highchair with distaste. 

"Just coffee please. I don't eat breakfast." He sat down next to Aislinn and she took one look at the strange face sitting next to her and began to cry. 

"Dada…Dada." She reached over the side of her high chair trying to squirm away from the stranger. 

"She doesn't like me," Jean Paul said, cringing at the chaos and noise level at this hour of the morning. 

"She doesn't know you," Zoey placed her hand on his. "Once she gets to know you she'll love you." 

Abbey lifted a skeptical brow toward Jed at that statement then watched him lift their daughter out of her high chair to calm her down. 

"It's okay, Aislinin," he soothed her. "Calm down. Jean Pierre is a friend of Zoey's." He turned from bouncing the little girl on his knee to look up at Jean Paul. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, young man. Didn't your parents ever tell you that?" 

"No. I don't think that topic ever came up for discussion, and my name is Jean Paul." 

"We're cutting a tree down today." Jed ignored the correction. "You should eat something." 

"Why are we cutting down a tree?" Jean Paul looked perplexed by the strange looks he got from all three adult Bartlets. 

"It's Christmas, Jean Paul," Zoey said. "Don't you have a tree at your house?" 

Jean Paul smiled at her reference to the 16th century Chateau that he lived in as a "house". "Well, yes, of course. But, I guess I never thought about how it got there." 

"Well, here we go into the woods and we cut one down," Jed informed him, his tone clearly indicating what he thought about Jean Paul not knowing where the family Christmas tree came from. 

Abbey set a steaming mug of coffee down in front of Jean Paul. She saw him hesitate, knew he was waiting for her to "fix" it for him. "There's cream and sugar right front of you on the table. Make yourself at home." Abbey cast an amused smile Jed's way and placed Nicholas in his high chair to start on his oatmeal. 

**** 

Cutting down the Bartlet family Christmas tree was another eye opening experience for the young Frenchman. First of all, he watched Zoey's parents bundle Aislinn and Nicholas into their snowsuits hats and mittens, then they all had to don heavy parkas, gloves and boots. Jean Paul thought they all looked like something out of Admiral Peary's party attempting to reach the North Pole. The twins were placed in a sled and they finally began the trek over the lower pasture to where the small pine Christmas trees had been planted years ago when they'd first moved in. 

Jean Paul watched with awe, as the Bartlet family debated, argued and tried to persuade each other the tree that they wanted was perfect. It seemed to take them forever to agree upon one but finally they did and the President began to move forward with the saw. 

"I can do that, sir," Jean Paul stepped toward him. Jed stepped away from him holding the saw protectively against his chest and everything got quiet. They all remembered what had happened the time Doug had tried to take over Jed's job of cutting the tree. 

"Dad always cuts down the tree," Zoey informed him. "It's tradition." 

"Tradition, that's something you know about, isn't it, Jean Claude?" 

"It's uh, Jean Paul, sir." 

"I'm sure it is. Hold the kids back I'm going in." Jed got down on his knees then lay flat on his belly to get under the tree and began sawing the nine-footer down. 

"I'll hold the top." Abbey moved forward to hold the top of the tree so it wouldn't fall too soon. "Zoey keep hold of the kids." 

Zoey grabbed Aislinn holding the little girl back then watched as Nicholas made a mad dash forward toward his parents. 

"Jean Paul, could you grab him?" she asked. 

Reluctantly, Jean Paul reached for the little boy. Nicholas shrieked as the strange man grabbed the hood of his snowsuit with more force than needed, yanking him to his butt. 

"Nicholas, let Jean Paul hold you." Zoey told her brother. 

"NO! NO! NO!" Nicky's face turned red as he fought against Jean Paul's restraining hands, kicking at him with all his toddler wrath. 

"Stop it, you little br…" 

"JEAN PAUL!" Zoey cut him off before he could refer to her baby brother as a brat; she could already see the glare her mother was sending their way. 

"That's quite enough," Abbey told him sternly, then looked down at her indignant son. "And as for you, Nicholas, stop carrying on." 

"Maaammma…" Nicholas sniffled straining in Jean Paul's grasp. 

Abbey started to let go of the tree but Zoey stopped her. "It's okay, Mom. I'll hold them. Nicholas, come here." Zoey opened her arms and the little boy stumbled through the snow to get to his big sister. Once in Zoey's care along with his Aislinn, he turned to give Jean Paul a scowling, very Jed-like look. 

With the excitement of Nicky's tantrum over, Jed continued to cut down the tree, the twins chortling with glee as their father called out a loud "TIMBER" and the tree fell with a soft thud into the snow. 

Jean Paul, Vicomte de Condé de Bourbon stood slightly apart from them all wondering just what in the world he had gotten himself into. Zoey's family was not at ALL like what he had expected. 

**** 

"What is that?" Jean Paul asked, watching as Jed reached into the closet and took out a metal pan on the end of a long wooden handle. 

"Haven't you ever seen a popcorn popper before?" Jed lifted a brow. 

"Not like that. We usually put a bag in the microwave at school." 

"Sheer laziness. There is nothing like freshly popped popcorn straight out of the fire." 

"The fire?" Jean Paul was puzzled. 

"It's an antique popcorn popper," Zoey grinned, taking pity on her boyfriend. "You put the pan over the fire and pop your corn." 

"Puhcon…puhcon…" Aislinn and Nicholas danced around the as of yet undecorated Christmas tree with excitement. 

"Almost ready, kiddos. Tell your mother to get her butt in here with the popcorn kernels." 

"Mumma butt…butt…mumma…butt." The two skipped into the kitchen. 

Abbey turned from where she stood making hot cocoa from scratch. 

"Tell your father to get off his own butt and come get the kernels himself. I can't stop stirring the milk, it will scald." 

"Dada…butt…butt…" 

Zoey laughed as the kids came scampering back in. With a sigh, Jed rose and made his way in stocking feet to the kitchen to get the kernels. 

Zoey continued to work on the strand of lights while Jean Paul moved to the archway leading into the kitchen watching the President spank the First Lady lightly on her shapely rear and watched her retaliate by snapping at him with a dishtowel. He stood at that spot for a moment admiring Abbey Bartlet's curvy little form. Her faded jeans clung to the gentle swell of her hips and rear, then nipped in at her tiny waist. Her full breasts thrust out against the sleek camel colored cashmere turtleneck that showed off that sexy figure to its best advantage. With her cloud of shoulder length burnished auburn hair, she could easily pass as Zoey's older sister rather than her mother. 

"Are you ogling my mother's ass?" Zoey whispered coming up behind him. 

"And what if I am? Does that bother you?" 

Actually it did, but Zoey couldn't tell Jean Paul that. She knew how much he disdained the puritanical streak that permeated American life. The last thing she wanted was for him to refer to her yet again as bourgeois. "You have every right look to look at beautiful women." 

"Ah, my Zoey," he placed his arm around her shoulder. "You are learning ma petite." 

Zoey nodded, swallowing past the lump in her throat. She wasn't sure if she would ever get used to Jean Paul's cavalier attitude toward monogamy and relationships in general. Two people who were exceedingly devoted to each other had raised her. As a matter of fact, she knew that if her mother had found her father ogling another woman's ass, she would not have been so tolerant. The fact that it was her MOTHER'S ass seemed to rankle her even more even though it was certainly nothing new. Boys had always ogled her mother. Her mind flashed back to one day in high school when she was standing with her friends waiting for her mother to pick her up. She'd always known her mother was not like other mothers and never was that more apparent then watching Abbey drive up in her convertible BMW – her long red hair blowing in the wind and trendy dark sunglasses covering her eyes. The group had gotten very quiet as they watched her and when she stepped out of the car in her short pencil slim skirt and three-inch heels, the boys' eyes bugged out of their heads. To this day Zoey could still hear Johnny Gilbert's voice. "THAT is your MOM, Zoey? Holy crap, she is ONE SIZZLING BABE." The fact that Zoey had a secret crush on Johnny did not endear her mother to her in that moment. 

"Are they always like this?" Jean Paul asked, gesturing to her parents who were playing tug of war with the dishtowel now. 

Zoey came back to the present and gave him a brave, and she hoped, bright smile. "Always." 

Later, while Jean Paul and Zoey twisted the Christmas lights around the tree, Abbey and Jed settled back against the couch with their mugs of hot cocoa and warmed their feet against the fire. As Jed filled the popcorn popper with corn kernels, Aislinn and Nicholas plopped down beside their parents to help with the popcorn popping. Both kids began to bounce with excitement as the kernels began popping like crazy under the lid. 

"Puhcon…puhcon…puhcon," they enthused. 

Once the popcorn had finished popping, they poured some into a bowl for decorating and buttered and salted another bowl to munch on while they worked on stringing popcorn and cranberries to hang on the tree. 

"I'd forgotten how much fun this is," Abbey said. "We haven't made popcorn strings since Annie was little." 

"Too long," Jed agreed. "Okay, Nicholas, I need a cranberry," he instructed his son. 

Nicholas picked a cranberry out of the bowl and handed it to his father so he could thread it along with the popcorn. 

Abbey glanced up and saw the dog under the tree. "Max," she called out sharply. "Stop drinking the water from that tree." Max came out from under the tree and moved to his mistress rubbing his head against her leg to apologize for his transgression. 

Once the popcorn strings were finished and with Christmas carols playing on the stereo, the Bartlet family began decorating their Christmas tree. Abbey, Jed and Zoey took the higher limbs while they helped Nicholas and Aislinn decorate the lower limbs. Jean Paul held back a bit, uncomfortable with the whole family thing. He felt out of place as Jed, Abbey and Zoey reminisced over different ornaments remembering when they'd been made or given as gifts. His family did not decorate the tree and they certainly wouldn't have done it with strings of popcorn and cranberries. Nothing but Tiffany ornaments would have done for his family's tree and they certainly would not have paused to dance with the children to _Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree_ or _Jingle Bell Rock_. 

Once the tree was decorated there was a bit of an argument over who was going to get to put the angel on the top of the tree. Finally a compromise was reached when Nicholas agreed that Aislinn could put the angel on the top if he got to turn on the lights. 

With a little help from her father, who climbed the ladder with her, Aislinn got the angel on the tree and Nicholas flicked the switch clapping when the tree lit up brightly. Their admiration of the tree was interrupting by the ringing of the phone. Abbey stopped hanging stockings on the mantle to go and answer it. 

"Ohhhhh, Jeeedddd…" Abbey called out from the kitchen a few moments later. "Could you please come here for a minute?" 

"You two leave the ornaments ON the tree," Jed told his children, as he turned to go and see what Abbey wanted. Nicholas and Aislinn had discovered that it was just as much fun to take the ornaments OFF the tree as it had been to put them on. 

"What's up?" he asked her. 

"I just had an interesting conversation with a Sandy Lazar from the New Hampshire Humane Society." 

"Uh…yeah…I…uh…" 

"Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?" 

"Well…uh…I might have called her expressing interest in getting a puppy." 

"And you didn't feel the need to inform me? You thought you'd make it a done deal and once I saw the puppy I'd cave." 

"Well…" 

"Don't 'well' me," she chucked him under the chin. "I know you too well." 

"You did promise me that this year we could get the kids a puppy." 

"Jed, we have a dog." 

"Yeah, we do. But come on, Abbey. Max is really yours." 

"And we have a cat." 

"Kids need a dog. Besides the cat lives in Maryland. I didn't make any definite arrangements. I just asked her to keep her eye out for a collie or setter cross or something." 

"Well, she just called to say that someone brought a litter of what looks like collie/sheltie puppies into the shelter. Evidently they found them in a dumpster. She wanted to know if we were interested in going to have a look at them." 

Jed paused for a moment trying to gauge his wife's mood. "Are we?" he asked. 

Abbey took in the excited gleam in his eyes, knew what joy it would give him to see the children's excitement Christmas morning. He was right, she told herself. Max played with the kids but only when she was around. He was her dog through and through. "I guess we do." 

"Yes!" He pulled her in for a big bear hug. 

"Okay, Jed, okay. I have to breathe." 

Jed laughed and let her go. "So when do we go take a look?" 

"I think tomorrow morning will be soon enough. I need to put the kids down. It's way past naptime." 

**** 

"I think they like you." Sandy Lazar laughed as she watched three sable Shetland Sheepdog puppies jump on Jed's legs. 

"Are they males or females?" Abbey asked. 

"Those three are females." 

"Girls always find me irresistible." Jed squatted amidst the puppies. 

"You are so full of it," Abbey rolled her eyes. 

As Jed played with the pups before him, Abbey discussed the sad circumstances of the puppies' early life with Sandy. Before long Jed felt a cold nose touch the back of his hand. He looked down to see a small fluffy tri-color pup shyly asking him for consideration. 

"You want some attention, do you?" He lifted the puppy up looking into her sweet dark eyes. The puppy leaned forward to gently lick his chin. 

"I think we have a winner," Abbey smiled and moved forward to pet the little black, tan and white puppy. "Is it a female?" 

Jed lifted the puppy to take a peek. "Yup, she's a little girl." 

Abbey knew from experience that things went a little better if you had a male and female in the house rather than two of either sex, so they had agreed to look for a female. 

"Well?" Abbey asked. 

"What do you think?" 

"She seems pretty sweet and she's very gentle." 

"Shelties are great with kids," Sandy told them. "They can be a little noisy but they're very loving, very loyal and very playful. She'll be happy on the farm or just as happy in the White House. They're very adaptable and people oriented." 

"What do you think?" Abbey took the puppy from Jed. "You want to come live with us?" The puppy tucked her wet nose into Abbey's neck. Abbey laughed. "I think that's a yes." 

"I know you wanted her for Christmas. Will you be looking to adopt her today?" 

"Yes," Jed said. "Our daughter Elizabeth said she'd keep her until Christmas Eve so the twins don't see her." 

As if on cue Elizabeth entered the room. "Is this the one?" she asked, seeing the puppy snuggled in her mother's arms. 

"This is the one." 

"She's adorable. You don't see too many of these black ones." 

"She's a tri-color," Sandy said. "Black, tan, and white." 

"Does she have a name yet?" 

"No, she's going to belong to the kids so we'll let them name her, "Jed told her. 

"Oh you poor little thing." Liz scratched the pup behind the ear. "I have a feeling we're looking at 'SpongeBob' here," she smiled, knowing how much her toddler siblings loved that cartoon. 

"Or Nemo," Abbey said. " _Finding Nemo_ is a new favorite." 

"Bite your tongues both of you," Jed warned them. 

"Well, I better get moving," Liz looked at her watch. "I have to pick up Annie at swimming practice. You do know that after having this puppy in my house my daughter is going to be bugging me for a dog." 

"We have four more puppies that need adoption," Sandy told her. 

"I'll keep that in mind," Liz laughed. "Now, I really have to go." 

"Okay. Thanks for keeping the puppy for us, sweetheart." Jed kissed her cheek. 

"You're welcome." 

"And you ARE coming to the skating party, right? After all we aren't going to see you Christmas day since you decided to go to Doug's parents' house." The statement was made with such disgust that Elizabeth had to smile. She knew her father would love to keep her and Annie completely to himself. Doug was another story. 

"Yes, we are and, if you remember correctly, we did spend Christmas day with you and Mom last year. We have to be fair. And yes, we will be there for the skating party. You know Annie would kill me if she missed it. She's already invited four or five of her friends so get ready for a bunch of giggling teenage girls." 

"My life has been nothing BUT giggling teenage girls," Jed sighed. 

"Poor Daddy," Liz stuck out her bottom lip in a teasing pout. "You know you wouldn't have had it any other way." 

"You're absolutely right." He opened the door for his daughter to enter her car. 

"See ya at the party!" Liz called out as she drove off down the lane. 


	33. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"Didn't we land at the Manchester airport?" Jordan asked Leo. 

"Your point?" Leo asked. His hands were tight on the steering wheel as he drove the car he had rented down the dark, snowy, twisting country road. 

"We've been driving forever. I thought the President lived in Manchester." Jordan gazed out the window at the dark thick woods that lined the road. "We appear to be in the middle of nowhere." 

"We say the President lives in Manchester because everyone's heard of Manchester. But, technically the Bartlet farm is in Candia, which nobody outside of New Hampshire has ever heard of, because, you're right, it IS in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but woods and lakes and farmland out here." 

Leo squinted as he saw the break in the woods that indicated the turn into the Bartlet drive. Jordan was surprised by how long they traveled down the driveway before she finally saw the warmly lit house in the distance. Every window in the large white farmhouse held a white candle and in the large picture window they could see a big green Christmas tree glittering with white lights and topped by an angel. 

Leo parked the car among all the others that lined the driveway all the way to the barn and they stepped out of the car into the cold frosty night air. In the distance, spotlights illuminated the pond and they could see dark figures skating and a bonfire sending orange flames skyward. From where they stood beside the car waiting for the Secret Service to give the okay to proceed, they could hear the laughter and the skating music, a Strauss waltz, coming at them from the pond. 

With the okay given, they walked further down the driveway, the snow crunching under their boots. Jordan was puzzled by the sound of jingling bells that seemed to be coming from the woods. She was a hard driven career woman and not one to give in to flights of fancy or romance but even she was enchanted when she saw that the bells belonged to the harness on a farm horse that was pulling a large old-fashioned sleigh. Leo had been to Bartlet skating parties before and knew the sleigh was the method of transportation down to the pond. 

"This is incredible," Jordan enthused, as Leo helped her into the sleigh then settled the blanket over their laps. "It's like something out of Currier and Ives." 

"The President does love a grand display." He sat back and they enjoyed the gliding ride across the pasture snuggled up under the blanket their breath frosty clouds in the night air. 

The festive atmosphere grew louder the closer that they got to the pond. As they disembarked the sleigh, they could hear Annie and her friends giggling uproariously out in the middle of the pond as they cracked the whip. Those not on the pond skating stood around the bonfire and the smaller campfires sipping hot chocolate and watching Jed and Doug roast hot dogs on the end of sticks. 

Jed's smile was not exactly genuine when he looked up to see his Chief of Staff and Jordan. It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see the couple, it was just that for a couple of glorious days he had been able to forget about Abdul Shareef. He had been able to forget that it was more than likely going to come out that he had been behind the assassination and that it was Jordan who was trying to legally keep him from being implicated. In his heart of hearts, he knew that the majority of Americans would be behind the decision. However, it was not the majority of Americans that he was worried about; it was one American in particular. He turned his eyes toward the edge of the pond where Abbey was teaching their toddlers to skate using two small plastic chairs. It could still unexpectedly cause his stomach to clench when he thought about how his wife might react to the news. Even after all these years he wasn't sure if she would be able to accept what he had done, or more importantly, would if he would be able to accept her disappointment, her loss of faith in the man she thought that he was. 

"Hot dogs?" Leo said, eyeing the stick Jed pulled from the fire with derision. 

"Grab a paper plate and I'll roast one for you." 

"I think I'll pass." 

"You should go have a conversation with Francois. You two have a lot in common." 

"Isn't his name Jean Paul?" Leo asked. 

"I hope I don't have to know him long enough to worry about what his name is." Jed bit into the end of a juicy hot dog. 

"That bad, eh?" 

"It astounds me that a daughter that sprang from my wife's loins can have such poor taste in men." 

"Just because he doesn't like hot dogs?" 

"There are a lot of things he doesn't like. Roasting hot dogs over an open fire the way the savages did is just one of them. I have to admit I didn't realize the Native Americans had Fenway Franks on the menu, but Marcel seems to know it all. By the way, there's a lot of real food and desserts back up at the house if you get hungry." 

Leo grinned and shook his head. He didn't know if he should pity Abbey and Jed or Jean Paul. 

"Where is Mrs. Bartlet?" Jordan asked. 

"Teaching the kids how to skate." Jed pointed to where Abbey patiently skated backwards coaxing the two children, mere lumps in their snowsuits, to step forward holding on to their chairs. 

"Aren't they a little young?" Jordan asked. "They haven't even been walking all that long." 

"This is New Hampshire, Jordan," Jed said. "Here you learn to skate pretty much as soon as you learn to walk." 

"Why are they using chairs? Don't they have those double bladed skates?" 

"Double runners?" Jed asked incredulously. 

"Run, Jordan, run now and run fast," Leo urged her. 

"What?" Jordan looked puzzled. 

"You don't want the lecture on the evils of double runners. Run." 

Laughing, Jordan headed toward the pond to visit with Abbey, the President's voice following her from behind. 

"Double runners cause a false reliance on…." His voice faded off as Jordan got closer to the pond and the skating music got louder. The Strauss waltz had been replaced by some kind of hip-hop music that the teenagers on the pond favored. Even Nicholas and Aislinn seemed to get into the swing of things bending their little legs to the music. She had never been a kid person but the Bartlet twins were just as cute as buttons with their hats on and their hoods pulled tight. The only part of them that was exposed to the frigid air was their rosy red cheeks and big eyes sparkling with the excitement of the evening. Jordan watched the First Lady skate circles around the toddlers stopping to pick them up when they fell and offering laughter and words of encouragement as they progressed at a snail's pace. It was no wonder the President was afraid to tell his wife about his involvement with Shareef. She didn't know Abbey Bartlet well enough to know how she would react to the news, although from what she did know about the woman, it was easy to see that she would be strong enough to deal with a blow to the image she held of her husband. Jordan had been watching the couple together for some time now and the strength of the bond that they shared had been clearly evident, surely it could withstand the unsavory but necessary death of a terrorist. Still, watching mother and children laughing and skating, she realized that it might be truly difficult to take that kind of chance with his family. 

"KIDS! HOT DOGS!" Jed shouted from one of the fires. 

"Hut gog!" Nicky shouted with glee and left his chair to head to his father. 

"Wait a minute, kids…" Abbey tried to get them to slow down. It was a losing battle. 

"Me too!" Aislinn tried to catch up to her brother, who was walking precariously in the stiff plastic black skates that kept his ankles from turning. Unfortunately, she was a little too fast and when he fell to the ice, she couldn't stop her own pink and white "Barbie" skates from continuing on and she wound up tripping over him and falling into a heap with him on the ice. Jed was at their side almost as fast as Abbey, but they needn't have worried. By the time they got to them, the kids were giggling hysterically and once their parents got them on their feet, they started taking turns pulling each other down in a sort of winter Olympic ice wrestling contest shouting "Agin, agin." The contest didn't end until each parent picked up a child and carried them off the ice. 

While the children were munching contentedly on their hot dogs, Liz approached with a little boy around kindergarten age. He was trussed up as formidably as Nicholas and Aislinn were and it was hard to see more than just his little face. 

"Dad, Mom, this is Gus," Liz placed a hand on the little boy's head. "Gus, these are my parents, Jed and Abbey." 

The little boy stood silently sucking on his mitten while Aislinn moved protectively closer to her mother wrapping her arms around Abbey's leg as if to warn the boy not to get too close to HER mother. 

"Hi, Gus." Abbey smiled warmly and knelt in the snow to greet the small boy. "Do you like hot dogs?" 

Gus turned wide eyes up at Liz. "It's okay, sweetie. Tell them if you want a hot dog or not." 

Gus continued to suck on his mitten but he did manage a nod. 

"One hot dog coming right up." Jed dropped a roasted hot dog into a bun and handed the paper plate to the boy. "Eat it fast, young man. It's going to get cold awfully fast. When you finish that you can have a nice cup of hot cocoa." 

Gus nodded again and accepted the plate. 

"MY daddy." Nicholas clutched on to Jed's leg much the way Aislinn was doing to Abbey. 

Jed smiled reassuringly at his son and patted him on the head. "Yup, I'm your dad, all right. But we can all be friends with Gus, can't we?" 

Aislinn and Nicholas didn't look too sure about that. 

"When you're all finished with your hot dogs, Izzy can take you up to the house and you can watch a movie before bed," Abbey told them. 

" _Wudof_?" Aislinn asked. She and Nicholas had watched _Rudolph_ several times since arriving in New Hampshire. 

"What do you think, Gus?" Abbey asked. "Would you like to watch _Rudolph_ with Aislinn and Nicholas?" 

Gus nodded and munched on his hot dog. 

A little later when the three little ones had been bundled off to the house for a movie, Abbey found Liz staring out over the ice. She came up behind her running a hand over her arm. 

"Hey," she smiled. 

"Hey, yourself." 

"So, how long is this Gus staying with you?" 

"Forever, I hope. I've been working with him and his mother at the home for battered women that you got me involved with. His mother OD'd and his father is going to jail. I just couldn't let him be placed into foster care." 

"But? I hear a 'but' in there." 

"Doug isn't sure about the whole thing. He wants his own baby. His own son." 

"I take it the baby-making isn't going well." 

Tears welled in Elizabeth's eyes. "Try not at all. You have no idea what it's like, what I go through month after month every time I get my period." 

"I think I have an idea." 

"No, Mother, you don't," Liz snapped. "The most you ever had to wait was a few months. It's been years for me." 

Abbey didn't say a word, just continued to run a hand up and down her daughter's arm. She knew Liz wasn't really lashing out at her. 

"I'm sorry," Liz sighed. 'That was a really bitchy thing to say. It's not your fault that you and Daddy are fertile." 

"Doug still refuses to be tested?" 

"I'm working on it. But, you know, I'd be happy with Gus. I'd love to have Doug's baby, but I can love this child, too. It's Doug who's obsessed with having his OWN baby." 

Jed stood behind the tree not wanting to interrupt the mother/daughter conversation but he hadn't been able to help overhearing most of what they were talking about. He heard the pain in Elizabeth's voice and if he could have he would have given Doug a swift kick to the ass. Instead, he approached the young man who was still roasting hot dogs for their guests. 

"Gus is a cute kid," Jed said. 

"I guess so." Doug shrugged noncommittally. 

"But he's not yours." 

"Excuse me?" 

"You want your own child, a child of your flesh and blood." 

"Yes, I do." 

"And yet, you refuse to get tested and find out just what kind of fertility problem you and Liz are dealing with." 

"I'm sorry, Jed, but I don't see where this is any of your business." 

"It's my business because you're making my daughter miserable. Just what is the big deal about taking a half hour out of your day to go to the clinic and jack off into a cup?" 

"You don't know anything about it." 

"I know that if it would ease my wife's mind and take away her pain, I'd be down there in heartbeat." 

"Are you telling me that having a son wasn't important to you? You were still trying in your forties for God's sake. " 

"For you're information we were NOT trying. You think I couldn't have had a son sooner? After we lost Peter who do you think it was that told Abbey no more babies? I did. As soon as she was recovered from the miscarriage, Abbey was ready to try again but I couldn't watch her go through that pain and grief again. We stopped trying after Peter. Nicholas and Aislinn were an accident. A beautiful, wonderful, magnificent, accident." 

"Of course, no jacking off in a cup for Jed Bartlet." Doug's tone was bitter. He had always resented Jed Bartlet's power and the hold that he had on Elizabeth and Annie. Liz and Annie damn near worshipped him, and the fact that his virility had recently produced two perfect little beings while he was in probability shooting blanks had only increased the bitterness. 

"What exactly does jacking off into a cup cost you?" 

"Everything," Doug said softly, his own misery apparent. 

"Excuse me?" 

"It could cost me everything. Don't you think I know that it's probably my fault we haven't been able to have a child? Liz had Annie. It's doubtful there is anything wrong with her plumbing. But, if I don't get tested I don't have to know for sure." 

"And you think that makes you more of a man? It doesn't, Doug. It makes you far less of one. So what if you are shooting blanks? Sperm count is not what makes a man. I know you want your own child. I can't blame you or fault you for that. I know the miracle of watching my wife's body change as she swelled up with our child. I know the miracle of watching her struggle to give our child life. I know the miracle of watching the woman I love nursing my child at her breast. I know the miracle of seeing my eyes looking back at me in the eyes of my child. But there is far more to being a parent than that. There is cuddling a child in your arms to comfort them during a storm. There is sitting up with them all night long when they're sick. There is watching them take their first steps, and go to their first day of school. There is cheering them on and taking them out for ice cream after little league games. There is sitting at night at the dining room table helping them do their homework. You HAVE all of that with Annie. YOU are her father and it's just a shame that you are too selfish to see that." 

Jed turned sadly and made his way over to the sleigh where he had something hidden. He grabbed a bottle of butterscotch schnapps and approached Abbey who was now standing alone by the edge of the pond watching the ice skaters in their parkas and scarves. 

"Would you like a little nip?" he asked. 

Abbey eyed the bottle with delight. One of her favorite toddys. "Oh, absolutely." She held out her cup of hot chocolate and Jed poured a generous portion of the liquor into her cup. Abbey took a sip closing her eyes in pleasure. Jed knew that look very well; it was a look that made his jeans tighten no matter when she gave it. "Oh, Jed, that is sooo good," she sighed. 

"Hey, babe, people are going to start to wonder what I'm doing to you over here." 

"There's nothing wrong with having a few chocolate orgasms." 

"I prefer the real thing." 

"Of course you do, you're a man. You don't appreciate the sensual pleasure of chocolate. It's all about sex for you." 

"And don't you forget it." 

"Would you ever let me?" Abbey chuckled. She sipped her cocoa again then looked down to see that her husband had his skates on. "Are you planning to actually do some skating?" 

"We haven't skated tonight," he told her. 

"You've been busy holding court." 

"Well, I think our guests can survive without their host and hostess for a little while. Besides I think they're playing our song." 

Sure enough, a smile touched Abbey's lips as the loud pulsing beat of the hip-hop music was changed in favor of the familiar strains of Somewhere my Love. Dr. Zhivago was one of her favorite movies. It was also the first movie she and Jed had seen together and Lara's Theme as the song was also known, was the music that played in the musical jewelry box Jed had given her for their anniversary one year. 

Jed linked his arm with Abbey's and together they glided out onto the ice. They had skated together for years and their connection seemed effortless. After a couple of laps around the ice, Abbey moved in front of Jed and he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. As they glided more slowly now, Abbey rested her head back against Jed's shoulder reveling in his warm embrace. It seemed to be a magical night. The woods were dark and mysterious around the pond, the stars bright and clear in the cold dark winter sky, the moon shining off the snowy hills and Jed singing softly in her ear. 

> _"You'll come to me_  
>  out of the long-ago.   
> Warm as the wind   
>  soft as the kiss of snow.   
> Till then, my sweet,   
> think of me now and then.   
> Godspeed, my love,   
> till you are mine again"

Jordan and Leo stood together by the bonfire staying warm. Their eyes fell to the First Couple skating romantically to the beautiful music oblivious to the watchful eyes of their guests. 

"They look so happy," Jordan said. "He hasn't told her yet, has he?" 

"No." 

"Why not? I don't understand. We all know that he did the right thing. I'm sure the public will rally behind him if his involvement comes out." 

"Yes, WE know that he did the right thing, but HE'S still not sure. Jed Bartlet is a complicated man. He has some very high moral standards and he's had to go against his own personal beliefs more times than I can count since he has become President. He doesn't care what the public thinks about what he did. Jed Bartlet answers to two beings, God and Abigail, and I don't think he's sure if either of them would understand what he did." 

"I still think he's wrong. Abbey's love for him is obviously incredibly strong. Look what she's given up for him to realize his dreams. That's not a woman who wouldn't understand a difficult decision like that." 

"I happen to agree with you." Leo did agree with Jordan, but there were things that she didn't know. Things in Jed's past that came back to haunt him in situations like this. Growing up, disappointment meant conflict, anger, and the withholding of love and Leo knew that was tough for him to shake. He had watched Jed time and time again work tirelessly not to disappoint people and that was not always a positive thing in their profession. Leo knew Jed couldn't risk that with Abbey and he wouldn't, not until he absolutely had to. 

**** 

"Mumma…mumma…" 

"Hmmm…?" Abbey pushed at Jed's arm that lay heavy across her chest. 

"Mumma…bubba…bubba…" 

Abbey felt little fingers tugging at her hair and turned her sleepy eyes to see her bright-eyed son. "Nicholas, you need to go to sleep." 

"No seep…Bubba…" 

"Nicky, come on. Mommy's tired. You want to come up with Daddy and me and go to sleep?" 

"No seep, BUBBA!" he insisted his lower lip starting to quiver with what Abbey was sure was going to be a nice loud wail if she continued to ignore his demands. 

"Okay, okay. I'm getting up." Abbey swung her legs over the side of the bed and threw her robe on not bothering to belt it. 

"Abbey?" Jed questioned sleepily as he felt his wife rise from the bed. 

"It's okay. Nicky's thirsty. I'm getting him a bottle." She lifted the boy onto her hip and started off to the kitchen. As she rounded the corner, she found Jean Paul prowling down the hall. 

"Jean Paul," Abbey's guard immediately went up and she eyed the young man suspiciously. "Is there something I can help you with?" 

Clearly caught off guard, Jean Paul stuttered surprised to find the First Lady wandering around barefooted down the halls at 2 a.m. with Nicholas in her arms. His discomfort turned to appreciation as he took in her sexily mussed hair and the fact that her opened bathrobe exposed her flannel pajama bottoms and nipples that were straining against her tank top. He'd heard that you could see how well your girlfriend would age by looking at her mother and if Zoey aged only half as well as her mother she would be would be one hot babe. 

"You weren't heading to my daughter's room, were you?" Her eyes narrowed and she fought the urge to close her bathrobe as she saw the glint of interest in his eyes as they lay fixated on her chest. It was then that she remembered Jed's words about her daughter's boyfriend finding her "hot". 

She ignored her discomfort with his perusal, for, at the moment she was more concerned with what he was doing up and about at this hour. She would, however, be more pissed if Jean Paul were actually heading in the right direction for Zoey's room. 

"Mumma…bubba," Nicholas impatiently hit her on the shoulder with a small fist. 

"Just a minute, Nicholas," she said sternly, her glare still centered on Jean Paul. The young Frenchman squirmed with discomfort. The First Lady definitely had a formidable glare. 

"No…No, of course not. I was going to the kitchen to get a drink." 

"Well, you're going the wrong way. Why don't you follow Nicholas and me. We're headed that way to get him a bottle." Abbey's tone was sarcastic, she knew very well that Jean Paul knew the way to the kitchen. 

"Yes, yes of course." He bowed and ushered her to lead the way. 

"Just so you know," she turned back over her shoulder. "If it had been my husband who caught you out wondering around the halls in the middle of the night, you'd probably be sipping that drink through a fat lip." 

"So Zoey has told me," Jean Paul gave her a wry smile. 

"Zoey is a smart girl. Steer clear of her bedroom." 

Uncomfortable under Abbey Bartlet's scrutiny, Jean Paul swallowed a glass of orange juice in record time then quickly departed with a 'Good Night'. 

Abbey watched his retreating form as she poured milk into a bottle ignoring the way Nicholas tugged at her pajama bottoms with impatience. 

"Mooommmy!" Nicholas cried out watching the milk overflow the bottle and spill over on to the counter. 

"Damn," Abbey muttered under her breath as she reached for a sponge. Her mind was not in filling the bottle; it was in what exactly Jean Paul de Bourbon was doing wandering the halls of their home at two in the morning. She seriously doubted he had been heading to the kitchen, and yet Zoey's room was down an entirely different hall, so it was doubtful he was trying to sneak his way into her bedroom. 

It wasn't a question she could share with her husband, she thought ruefully, as she handed Nicholas the bottle he'd been begging for. He grabbed it from her and began greedily sucking as she lifted him back into her arms to take him back to his crib. 

She hadn't been pulling Jean Paul's leg; there were strict rules about having boyfriends in their house – the biggest one being no hanky panky. If Jed thought for one minute that Jean Paul was trying to get Zoey to break that rule, there would be hell to pay and that was something it would be nice to avoid. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, her parents and Jed's mother were staying over and Ellie was arriving. She sincerely hoped that Jean Paul would stay put in his own room. She certainly didn't need any fireworks on the holiest night of the year, not with a houseful of family to witness it all. 


	34. Everyday Is a Winding Road

After the big skating party just a couple of days before, Christmas Eve was a much smaller celebration. Abbey spent the morning baking Christmas cookies with Zoey and the kids. Zoey had tried to get Jean Paul to participate but after watching the twins "ruin" several cookies by pounding little candy silver bells into them and pouring piles of green and red sprinkles on them, he declined even trying one. Jed didn't have any such reservations. 

"Cookie, Dada." Aislinn held out a Santa shaped sprinkle laden cookie. 

"Well, thank you, Miss Aislinn. Don't mind if I do." Jed took the cookie, immediately biting into it. "Oh…oh my goodness, this is the BEST cookie I've ever had. You don't know what you're missing, Pierre." Jed rubbed his belly making a big show of how much he was enjoying the cookie, which caused Aislinn and Nicholas to giggle. 

"Here, Dada…cookie." Not to be outdone Nicholas handed him an angel loaded with silver bells. 

"Oh, Nicholas, I don't know." Jed closed his eyes as if in heaven. "I think this cookie is just as good as Aislinn's. Who made these cookies anyway? Certainly not you two." 

"Yes," they both nodded enthusiastically. 

"Uh, who made these cookies?" Abbey asked, as she used the spatula to remove hot cookies from the cookie sheet. 

"MOMMY!" both kids shouted. 

"With a little help from my elves." Abbey grinned and kissed each child on the cheek. 

Jed scoffed another cookie hot from the oven earning a slap to the hand from Abbey. "We're having lunch soon. You're going to ruin your appetite." 

"Hey, I just wanted to sample Mommy's cookies." 

"You can sample Mommy's cookies later," Abbey whispered into his ear eliciting a chuckle from Jed and a groan from Zoey. 

"I HEARD that, Mom." 

"What did I say?" Abbey asked innocently. 

"Hello, hello. We come bearing gifts." 

"GAMMY! GAMPY!" Both children slid from their chairs and raced across the room to greet Abbey's parents and her sister Jane. They entered the house with arms filled with wrapped presents. 

"Pwesent," Nicholas said, reaching up to his grandfather. 

"Uh uh," Michael held the gift up out of his grandson's reach. "You have to wait until tomorrow morning." 

"Santa come 'morrow," Aislinn informed him. 

"Yes, Santa is coming tomorrow." Beth bent to kiss her granddaughter's cheek. 

"And if you're both good and stop accosting your grandparents, maybe Daddy and I will let you open one present after supper," Abbey told them. 

"'top costing," Aislinn hit her brother's arm. Nicholas gave her a puzzled look; he had no idea what his sister was asking him to stop doing. His mind was geared to one thing only. 

"Pwesent, Aslinn." He grabbed his sister's arm and pulled her along to follow Abbey and Jed as they helped the O'Neills place their gifts under the tree. 

"Do NOT touch any of these gifts," Jed wagged at finger at them. 

"We be good, Dada," Aislinn promised him. 

"I'm counting on that, kiddo." 

**** 

Not long after four o'clock Mass, Emily, Jon and Sally Bartlet arrived for dinner, with Ellie not far behind. The house smelled delicious: of balsam fir, sugar cookies, baking ham, and the pumpkin, apple, and mince pies that sat cooling on the counter and Bing Crosby was dreaming of a White Christmas in the background. 

Jed's responsibility for the afternoon had been to shower with Nicholas and dress him. Abbey and Aislinn had gone just ahead of them and had been ready for the party sooner. Jed saw them from the top of the stairs. Aislinn was curled up on Abbey's lap in front of the fireplace reading the large red treasure trove of Christmas stories that they had been diligently reading since December 1st in preparation for the holiday. Aislinn was stabbing at the pictures with her finger. 

"Pancer." 

"Prancer," Abbey corrected her gently. 

Aislinn nodded in agreement, "Pancer." 

Jed chuckled and took Nicky's hand and the two Bartlet males made their way downstairs in matching dark brown pants and forest green sweaters. Abbey grinned as she saw her men and noticed that Jed had slicked Nicky's cowlick back the same way he had his own. 

"Well, you two are looking pretty spiffy this evening," she told them. 

"Gel." Nicholas touched his damp hair. 

"Daddy put gel in your hair?" A smile touched Abbey's lips as Nicholas nodded affirmatively. 

"He watched me do it and wanted the same," Jed shrugged sheepishly. 

"Well, I think you look very handsome." Abbey kissed her son's cheek. 

"You two don't look so bad yourself." Jed leaned back to admire Abbey's red silk sheath dress and the matching crochet bolero jacket she wore over it. 

Aislinn jumped off Abbey's lap and began to twirl in a circle holding her skirt out. There wasn't much in the world cuter than his daughter in her red and black velvet dress, white tights and black patent leather shoes. Her blond curls were held back by a red velvet headband and her big hazel eyes sparkled with the excitement of the evening. 

"Pwetty dwess, Dada?" 

"You look like an angel, sunshine," he kissed the top of her head. "Maybe we should put you on top of the tree." 

Aislinn looked way up at the top of the nine-foot tree. "Me no want to." Her bottom lip began to quiver. 

"Daddy was just teasing you, "Abbey assured her. "He isn't going to put you on top of the tree." 

"Of course not," Jed squatted in front of her. "If I put you on top of the tree then I couldn't –– tickle you." He got his daughter giggling by tickling her under her arms. 

"Mumma… _Wudof_." Nicholas tugged on his mother's skirt. 

"Yes, I know, buddy." She pulled Aislinn from her father's grasp. "I promised them that they could watch _Rudolph_ before bed." 

Abbey set the kids up in beanbag chairs in front of the television then brought them each a cookie and a sippie cup of milk for their snack. Once they were content, the adults were able to sip their eggnog, eat their pumpkin pie and visit with each other in peace. Later, as the fire began to die down Jed made his way out to the cords of wood that sat by the house. 

"Man, it's colder than a witches tit out there!" he exclaimed as he came in from the porch carrying an armload of wood. 

"Josiah!" Emily said sternly. "You watch your language." 

"Yes, ma'am," Jed said contritely, and to everyone's surprise he bent to kiss his mother on the cheek. "You'll have to excuse my reprehensible behavior." 

"Just don't do it again." She smiled at her son affectionately 

Abbey smiled into her glass of eggnog noting the disbelief on the faces of those present. For the family, it was the first time they had witnessed a warming of the mother/son relationship between Jed and his mother and for Jean Paul it was shock that anyone would reprimand a grown man, the President of the United States, about his language. 

" _Silver and gold, silver and gold. Everyone wishes for silver and gold…_ " Jed's baritone was added to Burl Ives singing on the _Rudolph_ video. 

"Daddy, hush," Aislinn admonished him and Nicholas turned to him holding his finger over his lip indicating that he wanted him to stop singing as well. 

"Well, I never!" Jed exclaimed with mock outrage. "Is this my own flesh and blood turning against me? You just wait. My lap is going to be off limits to a certain little duo when that Abominable Snowman comes out to scare you." 

But, of course Jed's threat was an empty one. As soon as the Abominable Snowman entered the picture, both Aislinn and Nicholas were welcomed on to his lap for a bit of reassurance. Jed held them to his chest and was chatting with his brother when Abbey indicated that the movie was over. 

"Guess it's time for bed," he said. 

"Ssh…"Abbey whispered. "They're asleep." 

Jed glanced down to see that indeed both children had fallen asleep on his lap. Nicholas stirred as Abbey lifted him into her arms. The little boy gave a soft whimper of protest then buried his face into his mother's neck. 

Jed rubbed his cheek affectionately against Aislinn's fair curls then got to his feet to follow Abbey upstairs to the nursery. While both children had remained sleeping for the walk up the stairs, changing diapers and putting on PJs had proved to be a bit too much activity and both looked up at their parents with sleepy owlish eyes. 

"'tory," Aislinn prodded, as her father finished taping her diaper in place. 

"ONE story," Jed said, pulling the soft red and green flannel nightgown over his daughter's head. 

"Wudof," she said, pointing to the red-nosed reindeer on her Christmas nightgown. 

"Me too." Nicky sat up and pointed to his own chest just as Abbey finished snapping his red pajama top to the dark green bottoms. 

"You both have the Rudolph PJs that you wanted and now it's time for bed." Abbey pointed to their cribs. 

"Dwink." Nicky made sure that his mother was going to follow the established routine. 

"I'll get the drinks." Jed went to the bathroom with two sippie cups and when he came back both children were settled on Abbey's lap waiting for their father to read to them. Abbey enjoyed the feeling of their warm, cuddly little bodies nestling into her so trusting and loving. These were the moments that caused her maternal heart to contract with the love that she held for her children, to wish that somehow, some way she could always keep them safe and warm right here against her heart. 

Jed read them _'Twas the Night Before Christmas_ as was a Bartlet tradition and by the time he got to " _And I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight. Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night_ ," both children had fallen asleep against Abbey's breasts. 

Jed turned the blankets back in Aislinn's crib then turned to take the little girl from Abbey. 

"Let's let them sleep together tonight," Abbey suggested. "They'll be less likely to climb out and come wandering." Jed agreed and pushed Aislinn's legs to one side so Abbey could settle Nicholas in on the opposite side without having Aislinn's feet in his face. 

"Dwink…" Nicholas murmured sleepily, his thumb slipping from his mouth. 

"You already had a drink, sport." Jed told him, running a hand over his forehead. "Go to sleep." 

"But, Mumma…"Nicholas appealed to his mother. 

"Go to sleep," Abbey said firmly. 

Nicholas sighed, stuck his thumb back in his mouth and wrapped his little body around his Tigger, quickly falling asleep. 

Abbey and Jed stood for a moment smiling in the doorway then proceeded to walk hand and hand back down to the party. Just outside the dining room they heard Jean Paul and Zoey. 

"Isn't there any way that we can get out of going to church tonight?" Jean Paul asked. "Can't we just tell your parents we're tired?" 

"No, we can't. It's midnight Mass. I love midnight Mass; it's the holiest night of the year. You're a Catholic, don't you feel that at least at Christmas." 

"No, I don't Zoey. You know my Catholicism is not as important to me as it is to you." 

Jean Paul had often been irritated that Zoey went to Mass Sunday mornings with her parents when they were all in Washington. Religion had always been more important to Zoey than it was to him. 

"Please, will you go for me? I'd really like you to be with me." 

"Oh, all right," he sighed. "You really are such a bourgeois little girl." 

Jed gave Abbey a long-suffering look. It was getting harder and harder to be pleasant to that young man. 

**** 

It was almost midnight when the Bartlet motorcade pulled up in front of "Holy Trinity", the small stone church they had attended from the time they had moved to the farm. Jed stepped out of the car then held his hand out to help his wife and daughters. Jean Paul made a quick play to grab Zoey's hand, a play that was not unnoticed by Jed. He smiled at Abbey and reached his right hand out to take hers, while his left one clasped Ellie's. Together the three made their way up the stairs. As they approached the doors, the sweetly pungent scent of incense grew stronger and the strains of the organ playing _Silent Night_ grew louder. 

Inside he let go of his wife's and daughter's hands and moved to the left while Abbey moved to the right where they simultaneously dipped their fingertips into the holy water then made the sign of the cross before linking hands again to enter the church. 

**** 

Jean Paul watched Abbey Bartlet re-take her seat in the pew next to her husband after singing a beautiful rendition of _O Holy Night_ , something Zoey had informed him that she sang every year. He watched the President take her hand with a proud smile as they stood with the rest of the congregation to sing _Oh, Come all Ye Faithful_. He had watched them with interest all evening long, watched the way that they leaned into each other when they spoke, the way that the First Lady's fingers would rest on the President's forearm when he spoke to others or the way that the President's hand would linger on the small of the First Lady's back to keep her from moving too far from his range. 

"They are very close, no?" Jean Paul asked, nodding toward the clasped hands of Zoey's parents. 

Zoey gazed at the two, smiling affectionately. "Yeah. My parents are a unit," she whispered back. "Two halves of one whole. My sisters and I always knew that they loved us very deeply but really I think that they truly only needed each other. We kids were just a bonus of that love." 

Jean Paul nodded and stored that information for future use. He continued to watch the couple now praying together their "Profession of Faith" their fair and red heads tilted together. 

> _"….We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen."_

Jean Paul could see that their faith was strong, but was it unshakeable? He looked to the pretty red head beside him, and further over to her beautiful mother. Would Jed Bartlet's faith in God be strong enough to withstand what fate had in store for his family? 

**** 

By the time the Bartlets returned to the farm, it was snowing lightly. While the girls and Jean Paul went straight inside, Jed stood for a moment inhaling the clean, clear bite of the cold arctic air, savoring the stillness, the silence and the stars. It was a beautiful night, a holy night. 

"Jed?" Abbey's voice was slightly husky, the way that it was when she was tired or making love. "We still have presents to put under the tree." 

Jed nodded and moved from the cold into the warmth of his welcoming home. 

It was another hour before Abbey had the stockings filled and Jed had all the presents under the tree. Jed grabbed a couple of cookies from the plate the kids had put out for Santa, then handed Abbey the carrots meant for the reindeer. 

"What is this?" she asked with a frown. 

"Hey, you're the health food nut." 

"Hand one over." Abbey placed a hand on her hip and thrust the other one out at him demanding a cookie. Jed sighed and placed a sugar cookie in her hand. "By the way, did you put the puppy in our room?" 

"No, she's sleeping with Ellie. I was afraid the kids might come into our room and find her." Jed finished off the glass of milk just as Abbey turned off the lights on the tree and together they walked up the stairs still munching on their cookies. 

**** 

By the time the two crawled into bed, a freezing sleet had joined the fluffy snow that had been falling earlier. They lay cuddled in each other's arms listening to the wind blow the icy little pellets against the bedroom window. It was after two and Abbey was already starting to fall asleep, but Jed still had something on his mind. 

"This reminds me of the night that Ellie was born," he murmured warmly into her hair. 

"Mmmm…" Abbey agreed. "Right here in this bed." 

"But things are a little more quiet tonight." 

"Very funny," she slapped him lightly on the arm. "The next time you push a cantaloupe out an opening barely big enough for Old Hickory, you let me know and we'll see just how quiet you'll be." 

Jed chuckled, his chest rumbling under her cheek. 

"Besides, you weren't so quiet yourself. I seem to remember a lot of begging and pleading with me to keep the baby inside until Millie got here." 

"You weren't very cooperative." 

"Hey, talk to your daughter about that. She made me push her out." 

"Do you think she loves him?" Jed finally blurted out what had been on his mind for the past week. 

"Hmmm?" Abbey asked sleepily. "Who are we talking about now?" 

"Zoey, do you think she loves Jean Marc?" 

"Jean Paul?" Abbey snuggled in closer to Jed's chest. "What makes you think that?" 

"Back at the White House. I heard her talking to Charlie. She told him that I would love the guy because she loves him." 

"Is that what's causing this worried frown?" Abbey smoothed the area between his brows with a fingertip. 

"He's not right for her, Abbey and I'm not just saying that because I don't like the idea of her dating. I really don't like this one." 

"Jed, I wouldn't be too worried about what she said to Charlie. I suspect those words were more for Charlie's benefit than they were a description of her true feelings." 

"You think she was trying to tweak Charlie?" 

"Yeah, I think she was." 

"What does she see in him, Abs? Has she talked to you? I mean, he's not like any other guy she's ever dated." 

"I think that's the attraction. I don't think Zoey is in love with him, but I do think that she is infatuated with him. You're right, Jean Paul is different both temperamentally and culturally, especially from Charlie. When she broke up with Charlie, she said it was because she wanted to have fun. She wanted to enjoy her youth. She's doing that with Jean Paul in way that Charlie couldn't. Jean Paul doesn't have responsibilities. He's a bit older, a bit more experienced, and he doesn't answer to her father. She finds that exciting." 

"He's a colossal ASS. He ogles other women, including you and Ellie – don't think I missed that. He treats Zoey like an amusing child and he has nothing but disdain for our country. He is a wastrel, pure and simple." 

"I happen to agree with you, Jed," Abbey yawned. "I think Ash and Nicky are right on cue with not trusting him. I can't put my finger on it but there is something that I really don't like about him; something is just off. He makes me uneasy. But, Zoey's a smart girl. I don't think it will be long before the novelty of Jean Paul de Bourbon will wear off. No daughter of ours could truly love a man like that." 

"From your mouth to God's ears, sweetheart." Jed kissed the top of her head drowsily. 

"Now, can we get some sleep? You do know those kids of ours will probably be up around six." 

"There's no putting them off, is there?" 

"Nope." 

"Okay, then, Merry Christmas, Abigail." 

Abbey lifted her face accepting the gentle kiss to her lips. "Merry Christmas, babe." She pressed her cheek into Jed's soft cotton T-shirt and promptly fell asleep against his chest. Jed continued to run his fingers through the soft copper strands of hair that fanned out across his chest but within minutes he too fell asleep, a handful of Abbey's hair wrapped through his fingers. Outside the wind continued to howl and the snow and ice still pelted the sides of the house, but inside the inhabitants of the house slept on warm and safe and oblivious to nature's fury. 


	35. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"Mumma…Daddy!" The door to Abbey and Jed's bedroom banged off the wall. 

"Hmmm. What?" Disoriented, Abbey sat up instinctively holding the blankets up to her chest even though she had nothing to hide. 

In the next instant, the two children hurtled themselves against the bed. They were too young to really understand the whole concept of Santa, but they had understood the promise of presents. 

"Pwesents, Mumma, pwesents." The two began tugging at the blankets Jed and Abbey continued to snuggle under. Abbey cracked an eye at the clock. She'd been right the night before. It was just after 6:30. 

"Did Santa come?" she asked sleepily. 

"Santa come, Santa come." Nicholas began climbing up the blankets at the foot of the bed then worked his way up his father's groggy form. A stray foot to the groin caused Jed to gasp and draw his knees up protectively. 

"Okay, NOW I'm awake," he groaned. 

Abbey laughed softly and pulled Nicholas off of him. 

"Dada, boo boo?" Nicholas asked with concern. "Mumma kiss boo boo?" 

Abbey caught Jed's eye and the two burst into laughter at the innocent comment. 

"If I hadn't been sitting right here, I'd have thought you put him up to that one." Abbey ran her fingers through Jed's tousled hair. 

"So, is Mommy going to kiss my boo boo?" Jed whispered into her ear. 

"Not Christmas morning she isn't, but if it still needs nursing tonight I'll take a look." 

"Oh, I'm sure it won't be better by then." 

The door to the bedroom had been left open and Emily Bartlet stood in the doorway watching her son and his family snuggling up in their bed. Instead of passing right by, as she would have in the past, she entered the room. 

"I thought I heard voices," she said. 

"We have two little ones without much patience," Abbey told her. 

"Then I guess we better all get moving. I'll go start the coffee if you want to wake the others." Emily turned and left the room. 

Jed shook his head as if clearing it. "Was that my mother?" 

"Definitely takes some getting used too, doesn't it?" She smiled at her husband then turned to the kids. "Okay, let's go change your diapers and we can go and see what Santa brought you." 

**** 

Aislinn and Nicholas sat amidst torn wrapping paper playing with the bows and trying to get one of the adults to help them open their gifts so they could play. 

"Before you play, there is one more gift here." Abbey picked up a flat box and handed it to Aislinn. "Bring this over to Daddy." 

Aislinn waded through the piles of opened gifts and handed the box to her father. 

"Let's see." Jed squinted at the tag, as he hadn't brought his glasses down. "This is from Aislinn and Nicholas. What did you two buy me?" 

"Candy," Aislinn told him, causing everyone to laugh. 

"Somehow I doubt your mother let you buy me candy." 

Jed tore at the paper and his deep distinctive laugh filled the room as he opened the box. "It IS candy." He took out the Patrick the starfish lollipop to show everyone. "And there's something else." He pulled out a pair of SpongeBob boxer shorts that made everyone laugh. 

"'pongeBob," Nicholas toddled over to Jed to show him the package of SpongeBob underwear that had been in his own stocking. Potty training was just around the corner. 

"Looks like we're going to match, buddy." Jed snaked an arm around the little boy's waist and pulled him in to kiss the top of his head. 

"I just want you to know that I had nothing to do with picking out that gift," Abbey told him. "I took the kids shopping and that's what they picked out for you. All I did was pay for it." 

Jed grinned with delight. "Well, I thank you both very much. I can't wait to try them on. But right now I need another glass of orange juice." He got to his feet, his heart beating with anticipation. "Max, move." He had to push the German Shepherd away from where he was whining at the kitchen door. 

Once inside the kitchen, Max began to run circles around the open cardboard box that sat in the middle of the floor. 

"Aislinn! Nicholas!" Jed called out. "It looks like Santa left a gift in here for you two." 

The two children raced into the kitchen with Abbey following close behind with her camera. The kids gasped with delight as they peered down into the box at the mewling puppy. 

"PANDA!" Aislinn squealed with glee. 

"No, sunshine." Jed lifted the puppy out of the box and held her out to the children. "It's a puppy." 

"Panda," Nicholas giggled as the puppy began licking his chin. 

"I think we found our name," Abbey laughed as she snapped pictures of her giggling children and the squirming little puppy. 

"You guys want to call her 'Panda'?" Jed asked. 

Aislinn nodded, "Panda." 

"'Panda' she is then," Jed beamed. 

"Well, Panda just peed on the floor." Abbey raised a brow at her husband. "Let Daddy take Panda outside kids. He's got some housebreaking to do." 

"Me?" 

"You're the one who said the kids NEEDED a puppy and they are far too young to housebreak her. I guess that leaves you." 

Jed belted his robe more tightly around his waist and attached the little pink leash Abbey had picked out to the puppy's collar. "Let's go, Panda," he grumbled. 

Abbey tiptoed up to whisper into his ear. "The things you'll do to be a hero." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." 

Abbey watched them go out the door with arms wrapped around her middle. "Housebreaking and potty training at the same time," she sighed. "What have I let myself in for?" 

**** 

After a large buffet brunch, Jed found Abbey in the nursery putting away the new clothes and toys that the twins had gotten for Christmas. 

"Wanna play?" he asked. 

"Jed, it's CHRISTMAS!" 

"Get your mind out of the gutter, woman. I wasn't referring to that kind of play. I was thinking we could bring the kids outside and make a snowman." 

Abbey glanced out the window and saw that it was snowing lightly. "Sounds like fun and we can bring the roasting pan out to catch the fresh snow and make some snow candy when we come back in." 

They found the twins doing a puzzle at the dining room table with their grandfather. 

"Hey, you two. You want to put your snowsuits on and go make a snowman with Mommy and me?" 

"'nowman, yay!" 

"I guess that's a 'yes'." Abbey reached in the closet for their snowsuits. 

"BIG 'nowman," Nicholas told them. 

"So, Nicky here wants to make a big snowman," Jed said. "Anybody else in?" 

"It sounds like fun. Let's go out and make our own snowman," Zoey turned to Jean Paul. 

"I don't think so, ma petite. Making a snowman is a bit juvenile, don't you think?" 

Jed saw the hurt on his daughter's face and wanted to punch the young Frenchman in the mouth. 

"Well, Mrs. Bartlet," Jed turned to Abbey who was filling a bag with the items needed to make a proper snowman. "Let's go and be juvenile." 

"I'm right behind you." 

**** 

"Uh, it's a little big, Nicky." Abbey stood staring at the ball of snow she and her son had been rolling around while Jed and Aislinn sculpted the bottom of their snowman. "I don't think I can lift it." 

Jed turned, his eyes widening. "I think you two had a little too much fun rolling that thing around. This is going to be one FAT snowman." 

Abbey wadded up some snow into a small snowball and tossed it toward her husband, hitting him square on the back. The twins began to giggle uproariously. 

"HEY!" Jed whipped around. 

"That's for calling our snowman fat." 

Jed bent and quickly made a snowball. Soon the snow was flying fast and furious and laughter filled the air. Chasing after his wife, Jed tripped in the snow and ended up falling on top of her. Her hat had come off and her auburn curls were a splash of color against the white snow, her cheeks rosy from the cold. Jed used his teeth to bite off his glove and he gently brushed the snow off her face. 

"You are so damn pretty." His fingers trailed over her cheek. A tender smile parted Abbey's lips and Jed bent his head touching his lips to hers in a gentle loving kiss. 

"Kissy, kissy, kissy." The kids began dancing around their parents' prone bodies. Jed smiled against Abbey's lips and reluctantly parted from her. 

Inside Michael O'Neill moved to where Jean Paul de Bourbon stood staring out the window. 

"They have that snowman built yet?" he asked. 

"I'm not sure they're ever going to finish it at the rate their going." 

Puzzled, Michael looked out the window to see his daughter and son-in-law kissing in the snow, their toddlers dancing around and laughing beside them. 

"Some things never change," he grinned, shaking his head. 

"They've always been like this?" Jean Paul asked. 

"Never could keep their hands off each other. I guess we've all just gotten used to it over the years." 

**** 

About an hour later, Jed, Abbey and the kids came back in the house stomping snow off their boots and peeling off their wet winter clothes. 

"Ellie," Abbey called out. "Did you get the syrup boiling?" 

"Yes," Ellie called back from the kitchen. 

Abbey entered the kitchen in her stocking feet, her hair damp. She filled a glass with cold water and took a spoon to drop the boiling maple syrup into the glass. It hardened on impact. 

"It's ready, Jed. Bring in the pan." 

Jed carried in the large roasting pan that was now filled with fresh white snow. Abbey grabbed a ladle and began drizzling the boiling syrup onto the snow creating little craters and hard thin pieces of candy. Abbey gave the twins each large lollipop sized pieces with strict orders to Jed to make sure that he took the candy away when they were done licking it so they wouldn't choke. 

While the kids sat on the floor eating theirs, the rest of the family jockeyed for position for their share of the maple candy. Snow sugar candy was a favorite treat. When the syrup was gone, Jed made his way to the roasting pan and dipped a spoon into the snow that was now slushy with maple syrup. This was HIS favorite part of snow candy. 

"It's been a nice Christmas, hasn't it?" Abbey said, wrapping her arms around him from behind. 

"Very nice. So what are we going to do for New Year's?" He turned in her arms and held out a spoonful of the slush to her lips. 

"I'm sure we'll think of something." She accepted the bite and ran her tongue over her lips. 

"I'm sure we will." 


	36. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"You guys really aren't going to the Governor's New Year's Eve Party?" Zoey stood in the archway to the library in her festive silk dress. She and Jean Paul were on their way out for the evening. Her parents, on the other hand, were both seated in front of the fireplace in casual jeans and sweaters playing cribbage. 

"The new Governor is a Republican," Jed reminded her. "Craig Benson's invitation was a formality." 

"15-10, 15-12, 15-14… It looks like I'm about to skunk you, sweet buns," Abbey gloated as she lay her cards out on the table. 

"You guys are really going to just stay in and play cribbage?" 

"Oh, and maybe a little rummy, scrabble, chess." Jed pointed to the pile of games. 

"But, it's New Year's Eve." 

"Zoey, your father and I have been out to many parties on New Year's Eve. This year we just want to stay in and relax. You and Jean Paul go out and have fun." 

"Okay…" Zoey turned to Jean Paul. "Let's go." 

"Just be careful. It's starting to snow pretty wicked out there." 

"Yes, Dad." Zoey sighed shaking her head. Even with a Secret Service driver, her father still worried. 

Zoey and Jean Paul were barely out the door when Jed jumped to his feet and ran to the window overlooking the driveway. 

"Are they gone?" Abbey asked. She was on her feet just as quickly putting the cards and cribbage board away. 

"That's the last of the tail lights." Jed turned to his wife with a big grin. "Let the party begin." 

"You grab the champagne. I'll check on the kids and join you in a few minutes." 

"Don't keep me waiting." 

"Don't get started without me." Abbey ran her hand suggestively over her husband's rear and with a sly grin and a quick squeeze she departed from the room. Jed stood for a moment with his arms crossed and a silly grin on his face enjoying the saucy sway of his wife's hips. 

**** 

Abbey stood just inside the door leading outside to the hot tub. She knew Jed was probably expecting her to exit wearing his favorite bikini but she intended to surprise him. She slipped the short red silk bathrobe over her naked form and opened the door to the back porch. Jed was already in the hot tub; leaning back and grinning like a fool. 

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" 

"No reason." He got to his feet; the water sluicing down over his nude body. He was aroused, fully aroused, the water dripping from his distended penis. Abbey felt an immediate corresponding tightening between her thighs; her very feminine muscles clenching with just the thought of the pleasure that masculine piece of his anatomy would give her. 

"I thought I told you not to get started without me," she pouted. "What have you been doing in there anyway?" 

"Watching you perform a strip tease just inside the door." He pointed to the door she had just exited. She had left the light on in the hall and the glass side panels had indeed afforded him quite a view. 

"Sneaky, Jed. Very sneaky." 

"And even more tantalizing knowing that you didn't know that I was watching you." 

"So now you're a bit of a peeping Tom." A slight humorous smile touched her lips. 

"Call me whatever you like, sunshine of my life, but you better hurry up and get in here before this cold air shrivels me up like a deflated balloon." 

"Somehow I don't think I'll have a problem blowing you up again." She slid the silk robe off her shoulders baring her body to him. The cold instantly tightened her nipples almost painfully and she quickly stepped into the steaming water pressing right up against Jed's body, her lips mere inches from his ear. "And that was definitely pun intended." 

Abbey's gaze moved down her husband's body watching the water trickle down his chest over his nipples, his belly and thighs, watched it drip from the penis that stuck straight out from his body, bobbing as the cold warred with the heat of her words, and her nakedness. Her tongue began to follow the rivulets of water where they clung to his crisp chest hair; her lips closing over his nipple to suckle at the droplet that had hung there. 

"Abbey…" Jed moaned, his hands clasping and unclasping. 

"And the kids thought we were going to have a boring old fuddy duddy New Year's…" Abbey trailed off as she sank to her knees, falling to eye level with Old Hickory. She watched the water running over Jed's swollen penis, dripping tantalizingly from its tip. Her small pink tongue darted out to lick the droplet away. Jed's breath grew ragged as Abbey continued to tease and torment him with the soft gentle strokes of her tongue running from his base to tip and pausing every so often to suck softly on the head. 

"Abbey…Abbey…Baaaby…please…." He was panting with increasing need. 

"What do you want, Jed?" She gazed up at him, her lips still pressing tiny kisses against his shaft. Those sweet loving little kisses were almost his undoing. 

"Take me in…all the way…please…" 

"Well, since you asked so nicely…" Still looking up at him for as long as she could, she took him deeply into mouth, her tongue rolling along his satiny length and in that moment Jed gave control completely over to his accomplished little wife. 

"Aaaaa…bbey..." This time her name was released on an agonized groan of pleasure. Abbey felt Jed's fingers tangle in her hair, felt his hips thrusting himself deeper into her mouth and she tasted the salty evidence of his desire on her tongue. She felt a wave a feminine power and pleasure. She had her husband just where she wanted him. 

**** 

"I can't believe you didn't make those agents call a plow to come in from Manchester and get us out of here." Jean Paul was grumbling as he took off his winter coat and shook the snow out of his hair. 

"This is turning into a Nor'Easter, Jean Paul. It wouldn't look good for the President's daughter to call a plowman away from his duty to come all the way out here to Candia to plow us out." 

"Don't you have plowmen out here? Doesn't your father have someone to come out here and plow out your driveway?" 

"Yes, but it's the country. It's a little slower out here and I'm not going to call Amos Blake to plow out our driveway so we can make it out to roads that haven't been plowed yet. There isn't any point. We're not going to make it to the party, Jean Paul, and sulking isn't going to help." 

"Well, if we can't make it to the party, why don't we have our own little party. How about we hit the hot tub?" 

"Okay, let me just run up and get my suit on." 

"We don't need suits." Jean Paul wiggled his eyes lasciviously. 

"Yes, we do. We're in my parents' home. They'd kill me if they found me naked in the hot tub with a boy." 

"All right, my little puritan. Go put your cover up on. I didn't bring a suit so I'll make do with my underwear." 

Zoey nodded and turned to run up the stairs to her bedroom. 

Jean Paul made his way through the kitchen, pausing to pour himself a glass of wine before continuing down the back hall to the doors that led out to the hot tub. As he opened the door, he heard deep ragged masculine groans and softer, very feminine moans and whimpers. It was the sound of lovemaking, VERY HOT lovemaking. 

"Mmmm…Oh yeah, Jed…Oh yeah…oh yeah…right there, baby…Oh…Oh God, right THERE!" 

It was the President and the First Lady. Jean Paul's eyes damn near bugged out of his head as he peered over at the hot tub where the First Lady was sitting on her husband's lap riding him, the President's face buried in her naked breasts as he thrust up into her, his harsher groans muffled against her voluptuous chest. 

"What are you waiting for?" Zoey asked as she came around the corner. 

"The hot tub is a bit occupied at the moment." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean that your parents are fucking in the hot tub right now." 

"What?" Zoey's eyes widened with shock and without thought to what she was doing, she peered around Jean Paul's shoulder and caught her parents in the middle of an intensely sexual act. She immediately jerked back with horror. 

"Oh my GOD!" she gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth. 

Jean Paul ignored Zoey's reaction; his eyes still riveted to the couple in the hot tub. He was enjoying Abbey Bartlet's uninhibited performance. 

"Stop watching them!" Zoey hissed. "That's just…it's just SICK! You don't watch your PARENTS have sex!" 

"They aren't MY parents, ma petite." Jean Paul was amused by Zoey's prudish reaction as she dragged him back down the hall away from the moans and groans and pleas of her parents. 

"I've watched your parents this past week. You can't tell me that you've never caught them fucking before?" 

"No, we've caught them before, but I've never stood around watching them go at it. They're my PARENTS." 

"Who obviously still have a VERY active sex life if your little brother and sister, and that little display in the hot tub are any indication." 

"Can we NOT keep talking about my parents…you know…" 

"Fucking each other's brains out?" He gave her that jaded little grin that grated so badly on her nerves. 

"STOP using that word!" 

"Okay, okay, ma petite. Don't get so upset. It's just, your parents are not what I expected and neither is your family." 

"What didn't you expect?" Zoey got defensive. She didn't like the idea of anyone bad mouthing her family. 

"I guess most of all I didn't expect this lack of formality. I didn't expect your mother to cook or your father to change diapers. I didn't expect your mother to sing and your father to make bottles. I didn't expect your parents to put the little ones to bed or get up with them in the middle of the night or eat breakfast with them. I didn't expect them to have snowball fights and roll around making out in the snow and I sure as hell didn't expect to come home and find them fu…screwing in the hot tub." 

"That word isn't much better." Zoey rolled her eyes. 

"Too earthy for you?" 

"If we have to talk about it, could we just refer to it as lovemaking, please." 

A few minutes later their conversation halted as they heard Jed and Abbey talking and laughing softly, intimately, as they came down the hall. They stepped into the kitchen barefooted and wearing nothing but towels, then stopped abruptly with surprise when they saw Zoey and Jean Paul seated at the kitchen table. 

"What are you two doing back?!" Abbey gasped. She pulled her towel more tightly over her breasts. Jean Paul saw an attractive blush spread across the First Lady's cheeks and knew she was wondering just what they had seen and heard and he couldn't help but notice the little red love marks that graced the top swell of her breast. The President was a hungry passionate man for his wife. 

"The roads are impassable," Zoey told them. "The Service felt it was too dangerous to go out before the plows have passed." 

"When did you get back?" Jed asked, not nearly as worried about his towel as Abbey was. 

"Just now…" 

"About twenty minutes ago." Jean Paul's timing contradicted Zoey's and Zoey flashed him an irritated glare. 

"So what is it? Twenty minutes or just now?" Jed's eyes narrowed. 

"I don't know, Dad. Just a little while. We thought we'd make a snack since we couldn't get to the party." 

Jed noticed that Zoey's eyes would not meet his. That was an Ellie act, not a Zoey. She was embarrassed. She'd either seen them or heard them making love. 

"Well, your mother and I are going upstairs to dress." He placed his arm around Abbey's waist. 

"Mind if we use the hot tub now?" Jean Paul gave him a sly knowing grin. 

Jed's face tightened at the reference. The little punk was definitely letting them know they had been caught. "The hot tub is CLOSED for the night." 

Abbey was still blushing furiously as her mind went over all that she and Jed had done and said in that hot tub, all that her daughter and her boyfriend might have seen and heard. 

"Abbey? You haven't said two words." Jed opened the door to their bedroom and ushered her inside. 

"I'm in a bit of shock here. They SAW us." 

"You think?" 

"Don't be funny. You know how I hate it when the kids catch us." 

"Yes, but you've done a good job over the years explaining that sex is a part of life and they have a very comfortable relationship with that. If we haven't traumatized Zoey by now, I doubt that seeing us tonight in the hot tub is going to send her over the edge." 

"So, you like the easy relationship I've taught our daughters to have with their sexuality, do you?" 

"When it comes to YOU, well, US, yes. When it comes to them, NO WAY, baby." 

"So it's a bit of a 'do as I say not as I do'." Abbey dropped her towel and began to slip into a pair of lavender bikini panties. 

"Absolutely. And before you start, I have no problem at all being called a hypocrite." 

"Well, it's not like it's the first time." She slid a large faded Notre Dame T-shirt over her head and was reaching into her drawer for a pair of flannel pajama pants when she felt Jed's arms surround her from behind cupping over her breasts and giving a gentle squeeze. 

"What's this all about?" she asked, swallowing tightly as she felt his thumbs stroking her nipples to attention. 

"I think I feel a bit of hypocrisy coming on." 

"Just do me a favor." She leaned back against him, her teeth biting into her lower lip as he continued to knead her breasts. 

"Anything," he whispered into her ear his teeth closing over her earlobe. 

"Make sure the door is locked. I don't want the little ones climbing out of their cribs and walking in on us if they wake up." 

"I'll lock it, but it's inevitable, sweet knees. At some point, being the way that we are, they're going to catch us." 

"Well, we don't have to make it easy for them, do we?" 

"Absolutely not, babe." Jed chuckled as he locked the door. "Absolutely not." 


	37. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"You're telling me that after spending two weeks at the Bartlet farm you didn't find out anything that is going to help us in our quest to bring Jed Bartlet to his knees?" 

Jean Paul de Bourbon leaned back in his chair. He was back in his Georgetown apartment. "That's not what I said. My mission was to find out what it would hurt Jed Bartlet most to lose. To find out what exactly is his Achilles heel. I can't help it if you didn't like what I had to say." 

"You're sure that Bartlet does not have a bit of fluff on the side. Someone it would not only hurt him to lose but also cause him public embarrassment when the relationship came out in the open?" The thick Middle Eastern accent of the other man had a decidedly British inflection to it. 

"I told you. His little bit of fluff is his wife. There is no other woman. If we want to hurt Jed Bartlet, it's going to mean getting at Abigail Bartlet and their children." 

"Damn," Ahmad Falud swore. He was hoping against hope to find a mistress in Jed Bartlet's life. Somebody it would be easy take. Somebody it would not only hurt the President to lose but that would cause him embarrassment and ruin him politically and within his family. This change of plans was not going to be an easy one. It was certainly not going to be easy to get at Abigail Bartlet or the Bartlet children. It was going to require time – time and a lot of planning. But, it would happen. Jed Bartlet was going to pay for his crimes against Islam. He was going to pay for killing Abdul Shareef. He was going to be destroyed…annihilated… and now they knew just how to go about doing that. If destroying Jed Bartlet meant taking away his wife and children and allowing him to know that he was the cause of their torture and death then that was exactly what they were going to have to do. 

**** 

"According to my press corps you have every designer in the world at your beck and call. All you have to do is crook your little finger and they'll come running to dress you." CJ turned in her seat to look at the First Lady. 

"You're point?" Abbey asked, examining her manicure. 

"My point is, if that's the case, why are we in a small motorcade winding through the streets of Georgetown to go shopping for Inaugural ball gowns?" 

"First of all, I'm not shopping for an Inaugural ball gown. I've already chosen and been fitted for that." 

"Then, what exactly are we doing today?" 

"I need more than just an Inaugural ball gown. I need a whole Inaugural wardrobe. There is the CBS gala, the children's gala, and the thing for HBO, and I need a new suit for the Inauguration itself. So, today, you and I are having a girl's day out. We haven't had one of those in ages, and frankly, CJ, I think you could use one. You spend entirely too much time with the boys." 

"Are you calling me a whore, ma'am?" 

Abbey looked at CJ with surprise and seeing the humor in the other woman's eyes she burst into laughter. "Hardly. I'm saying you don't spend enough time nurturing your feminine side. And YOU still need a ball gown. This year I intend to see that you buy one that will knock everyone's socks off." 

"I'm hardly the type to knock socks off. That's your department, ma'am." 

"See, now that's where you're wrong. If you don't think sexy, you aren't sexy. It's all in attitude. And knock off the 'ma'am'. Today we're just CJ and Abbey shopping in Georgetown." Abbey glanced up as an agent opened the sedan door for her and she stepped out into the cold January morning. 

"Just CJ and Abbey," CJ muttered as she stepped out of the car on to the sidewalk in front of some of Georgetown's most exclusive boutiques. "With three cars, two police cruisers and a dozen Secret Service agents." 

For the next few hours, the two women tried on clothes, Abbey ignoring CJ's preferences of pale earth tones and below the knee length skirts, handing her instead vibrant colors and much higher hemlines for work. 

"I don't know, Abbey." CJ turned in front of the mirror admiring the turquoise suit. "I have to get up in front of the press like this." 

"CJ, I know how tough it is to be a female in what has been considered a man's profession but just because you have a man's job doesn't mean you have to try to strip yourself of any femininity. I mean, that's what breaking glass ceilings is all about, isn't it? We can still fight for equality and the right to do what are deemed 'men's' jobs but we don't have to stop being women to achieve that goal. You can be professional and attractive, there's no law against that." 

"But if we don't sort of blend into the woodwork then we aren't taken as seriously." 

"We can't cave in to that kind of pressure. We have to be who we are and MAKE them take us seriously. I watch you in your press conferences quite often. Standing in front of the press you're professional, completely in control and brimming with confidence, but when you come off that stage, put a ball gown on and walk into a state dinner, I've seen that confident mantle fall right off your shoulders." 

CJ eyed Abbey who had just stepped out of the dressing room wearing a sleek curve hugging peacock blue satin dress with a plunging square neckline and a hemline well above her knee. It was designed perfectly to show off her killer legs. CJ knew Abbey was right. There might still be a few people who didn't take Abigail Bartlet seriously but they were few and far between. Abbey was feminine and sexy and every inch a woman, but she was also strong and direct and a force to be reckoned with. Growing up, CJ had never had that kind role model. She'd never had the chance to be a girly-girl. Her mother had died before she reached puberty and her father and older brother had no idea of what to do with a gangly, lost little girl. It didn't help that she was a tomboy and that she'd been 5'10" by sixth grade and 6'0" by eighth. The other girls treated her like some kind of freak and no boy wanted to date a girl who was taller than he was by half a foot. At that point she'd figured if she was going to look like a boy, she might as well continue to act like one and she'd remained a tomboy well after most young girls were turning to perfume and make up and talk of bras and boys. She'd always been more comfortable having friendships with men as opposed to women. Friendships with men were easier; they were casual, usually lacking in the emotional department. Being one of the boys was second nature for CJ Cregg. It wasn't that she'd never had women friends, but until being forced into close contact with Abbey Bartlet she'd never had a close woman friend. Right from the start Abbey had treated her more like a friend than a press secretary. She'd tried fixing her up on dates and continually urged her to dress with more allure. Thanks to Abbey's persistence she had made strides in that department, but was still woefully far behind the First Lady. 

The afternoon Abbey had invited her to Harmony Point and opened up to her about the day that she'd been raped had been a turning point in their relationship. The moment that CJ had been accepted into Abbey's small but very tight circle of good trusted female confidants. Having each other in the trenches, so to speak, had been good for both of them. 

"I need to lose the bra." Abbey was continuing to eye herself critically in the mirror unable to get a good read on the off the shoulder thinly strapped dress with the black straps of her bra on her shoulders. She unzipped the dress, deftly unhooked her bra and tossed it back into the dressing room she had just vacated. 

"So, what do you think now?" Abbey turned back to CJ. The top swells of her breasts were clearly visible and it was quite evident that she was not wearing a bra. 

"I'm thinking that I hope you aren't planning to wear that to one of the TV galas, at least not without a strapless bra." 

"Of course not. I was thinking more along of the lines of the Inaugural morning prayer breakfast." 

A look of horror crossed over CJ's face, her eyes widening with disbelief. Abbey chuckled softly. 

"Kidding, CJ, kidding." 

"Oh God, don't do that to me, Abbey. We're still getting flack from some of those dresses you wore in New Orleans." 

"Does anyone in this country have a life?" Abbey was now rifling through a rack of brightly colored ball gowns. 

"Not the press," CJ grinned. It still amazed her that Abbey Bartlet was, if not completely oblivious, than so very casual about just how attractive that she was and the reaction around the world to that beauty and sexuality. Oh, she knew what she could do to the President all right. CJ had seen that gleam in her eyes when she'd reminded him about special garments or wanting a barbecue in the middle of the day, but she just didn't understand the rest of the world's Abbey obsession. 

"Here it is. THIS is the one." Abbey turned to CJ with a scarlet red gown with a deeply plunging neckline. 

"Oh, I don't think so. Maybe if I had adult boobs I could get away with wearing that." 

"It's all in the presentation. With the right lingerie we can make it look like you have boobs." 

"Hey," CJ frowned. "That was a low blow. I may not be a C-cup but I have SOMETHING." 

"You know what I meant. Now, go try it on." 

A half-hour later, with their purchases made, Abbey dragged CJ to the lingerie department. She immediately began fingering through displays of lacy thongs, satiny demi bras, and silky teddys. She pulled a red bustier from the rack and turned to CJ. 

"What do you think of this?" 

"I thought you said your gown was a wine color." 

"Not for ME. I already have my underclothes. I promised Jed I'd wear a certain naughty number he bought me at 'Trashy Diva's' when we were in New Orleans." 

"Well, at least I didn't get questioned about that one." CJ was well aware of the President's penchant for lingerie shopping for his wife. The press had gotten wind of extensive "Victoria's Secret" purchases right from the start of his Presidency. 

"This is for you. This will push everything up and give the illusion of cleavage. They also have the matching garter belt." Abbey picked it up and twirled it on her finger wiggling her eyebrows. 

"Abbey, I don't need sexy underwear. I don't even have a date for the Inaugural balls." 

"This isn't about who's going to SEE you in the underwear, as much of a turn on as that can be. It's about how you feel. Wearing sexy lingerie will make you feel sexy and if you feel sexy, you project sexy. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about." 

"Oh, I believe you. I know I'm getting advice from a pro." 

Abbey shook her head and tossed the underwear toward CJ before going off on her own to browse. Later, as CJ paid for her purchases, she noticed Abbey approaching the counter with an armful of lingerie. At the top of the pile were a sheer red and black lace baby doll teddy, and a matching red and black lace thong, garter belt and fishnet stockings. CJ's brow lifted. 

"I thought you already had your underwear for the Inauguration." 

"I do," Abbey gave her a saucy grin. "But Valentines Day is just around the corner." 

CJ shook her head with laughter. "It's no wonder the President goes through Abbey withdrawal when you're gone." 

"Abbey withdrawal?" 

"That's what we call it when you're away from the White House and we find the President wandering around the halls of the West Wing at 3 a.m. because he misses you and it's too lonely in the Residence without you." 

"I can't believe you guys have a name for it." 

"Well, it's pretty prevalent. It's not like it happened once or twice. It happens every time you go away. You're a very lucky woman to have a man like the President love you the way that he does. I envy you that. Sometimes I really wish that I had a man who would look at me the way that the President looks at you. There are times when there is so much softness and affection there, but there are other times when he looks like he could just devour you. I'd love to inspire that kind of emotion in a man, to really belong to someone like that." 

"I'd like that for you too, CJ." Abbey squeezed her friend's hand. "I thank God every day for what I have with Jed." 

"I guess in order to find something like that I'd have to actually find the right man and the chances of me having the time to meet and fall in love with a man right now in my life are pretty non-existent." 

"Don't give up on it, CJ. If you find the right man, you've got to go for it. A job is just that, a job. It can disappear at any moment. Your house, your car, your career, everything that you treasure can be taken away from you in the blink of an eye. Everything except for love. If you have love in your life you can weather the loss of anything. There is no greater gift than being able to love the person that you were meant to love." 

CJ stared at Abbey tears filling her eyes from the honest emotion of her passionate words. For one of the few times in her life she was at a loss for words. 

Slightly embarrassed at her vehemence, Abbey grabbed her packages. "Sorry, lecture over. Let's go get some lunch." 

"Okay." CJ squeezed Abbey's shoulder to let her know that she understood exactly what she was talking about and would take it under advisement. 

**** 

Abbey and CJ returned to the White House laden with packages from their shopping trip. Both women made their way to the Oval Office – Abbey, because she had phoned Jed from the car and knew the twins had just woken up from their afternoon nap and he was having a quick playtime with them and CJ because she wanted to prep the President for some pre-Inaugural interviews. 

They stood just outside the door that led in from the portico both reluctant to interrupt the sweet scene that lay before them. Jed sat on the floor in his shirtsleeves, his suit coat thrown over the arm of the couch. He was helping Nicholas work the ladder on the big red fire truck the little boy was playing with. While he was busy showing his son how to work the levers, Aislinn was hard at work putting plastic barrettes in his hair. 

"It's a good look for you, Jed." Abbey entered the room with a grin. 

"Hunh?" Jed lifted a hand and felt the barrettes at the back of his head. 

"Pwetty," Aislinn pronounced as she raced forward to hug her mother's knees. 

"Yes, Daddy is a pretty boy, isn't he?" Abbey stroked her daughter's head with affection. 

"Pwetty boy." Aislinn agreed. 

"Handsome, honey," Jed corrected his daughter with a quick glare to Abbey. "The word is handsome." 

"Sir, I have to say, we haven't done a camera test on those pink barrettes. I'm a little nervous the color might clash with your suit coat." 

"Keep laughing, ladies. Keep laughing." Jed began picking the barrettes out of his hair with a little help from a chuckling Abbey. 

"Sir," Charlie leaned his head in. "Peter Jennings and the crew from ABC is here." 

"Okay, give me ten minutes, Charlie." Jed rolled his sleeves down buttoning them at the cuffs then put his suit jacket back on while Abbey began gathering up the twins' toys into a diaper bag. Before leaving, she gave her husband a quick survey. After stepping toward him to straighten his tie, she licked the tips of her fingers and attempted to slick his cowlick back off his forehead the way he liked it when he was at work. 

"Abigail!" Jed protested. "I'm not Nicholas." 

"Well, you have the same hair issues." 

"My hair is fine." 

"Okay, okay. Have a good interview." She kissed his lips lightly, careful to remove the lipstick smudge. 

By the time Peter Jennings and the camera crew for ABC entered the room, Abbey and the children were long gone. Remnants of their visit, however, were not completely removed. Peter looked down with amusement at the big red fire truck that sat in front of the President's desk. 

"Is that how you unwind, sir?" Peter grinned. "Playing fireman with your staff?" 

"Not my staff," Jed laughed. "My kids. They were down here for a visit earlier. I keep the fire truck in the private study for them to play with when they come down." Jed didn't know if Peter knew that he'd hit the nail right on the head with that comment. He had desperately needed a little unwinding after finding out about the horrors of what was going on in Kundu and worrying about how to deal with that. For a little under an hour, he'd been able to put it to the back of his mind and just be a father playing with his children. Nicholas and Aislinn didn't need answers or decisions. To them he was just 'Daddy' – somebody to read to them and play with them and tuck them in. For them he had had all the answers. Without having Abbey or the children as diversions when needed, he knew that he might just cave in with the pressure of the world so heavy on his shoulders. It was times like these when he realized what a great thing it was that the President's residence was part of the building. It would be too easy to lose oneself into the job without that sense of normalcy so close by. 

"Would you mind if I use your washroom before we begin?" 

"Be my guest." Jed pointed the way to his private bathroom. 

A few minutes later Peter emerged from the bathroom with a confused look on his face. 

"Sir, are you aware that there are little plastic doughnuts floating, well…floating in your toilet bowl?" 

"Target practice." 

Leo choked on his tongue at that one, CJ's eyes widened with surprise and Peter Jennings normally professional façade took on an almost comical look of shock. 

Jed bit back his laughter; he could see Jennings mind already hard at work wondering just why the President needed target practice in the bathroom. 

"Target practice, sir?" 

"We've just begun the preliminaries of potty training. I'm teaching my son where to aim. You didn't think they were for me, did you?" Mirth danced in the President's eyes. 

"Oh, no, of course not, sir." Peter's face reddened with embarrassment. He'd been had. But, to prove he could take a joke he was ready with a quick comeback. "So, I take it the step stool in front of the sink wasn't for your use either." 

"I may have a height disadvantage at times, Peter, but unlike my two year olds, I can reach the sink to wash my hands without a step stool." 

"Just checking," Peter grinned. "You know a reporter – never leave any stone unturned." 

"Well, to that end, I guess I'm ready for the interview whenever your cameras are ready. Just remember, go easy on me, I just gave you one helluva scoop." 

"Yes, you did, and I appreciate that. Will you mind if I ask you on camera about the children playing down here in the Oval Office?" 

"Not at all. I love to talk about my kids, but nothing personal about my older girls and no video footage of them. Abbey just brought them upstairs for supper. We'll be releasing official photos over the weekend from their birthday party." 

"You're celebrating early?" 

"Yeah, we figured with everyone coming down for the Inauguration we might as well kill two birds with one stone." 

"Two years old. Seems like just yesterday that we were breaking the news that the First Lady had gone into labor during your State of the Union. It was a long night." 

"My wife certainly thought so," Jed smiled ruefully. 

"I'll bet she did," Peter chuckled. "I'll just bet she did." 

"Mr. Jennings, the cameras are all set." 

"Ready?" Peter asked the President. 

"As I'll ever be." 


	38. Everyday Is a Winding Road

"Mmm…Jed?" Abbey rolled over in bed squinting at the clock by the bedside. It was well after 2 a.m. and her husband was just returning from Situation Room meetings. 

"Sorry, babe. I didn't mean to wake you." Jed partially closed the bathroom door to keep the light from spilling into the bedroom. 

"No, it's okay. What's up? You wanna talk?" 

"No, it's okay. You go back to sleep. We have another big day tomorrow." His voice was flat, tired. It had been a very long week. 

Abbey leaned sleepily back against the pillows listening to her husband's bathroom activities. She heard the water running, the toilet flushing and the water running again. Then, finally, he came wearily into the bedroom wearing a pair of old sweats. As he crawled into bed gingerly, determined not to wake her back up, Abbey snapped on the light beside the bed. 

"Abbey?" 

"Can you talk to me about it?" Abbey pressed herself to his side reaching a hand up to massage the tense muscles at the base of his neck. 

"It's bad, Abbey." 

"What is?" 

"They're switching family members in Kundu." 

Abbey stared at him blankly. "I don't know what that means, Jed." 

The rebels are forcing men to rape their own family." Jed rubbed a weary hand over his eyes. "So, to keep from doing that, people all over the country are moving into the homes of neighbors so the act won't happen between members of the same family." 

"Oh, my God, Jed." Abbey's wide green eyes were filled the horror that his words brought to mind, a horror that was reflected in Jed's. "That is absolutely barbaric." 

Jed nodded in agreement. "It's inhuman." 

"It's also incredibly premeditated. I don't understand what they have to gain by that." In Abbey's experience rape was a violent act brought on by extreme emotional rage or disturbance or even the blood lust of war. 

"Power. Pure and simple. They are able to exert their power that way. Now women…mothers… are standing in front of tanks trying to stop this from happening. Can you imagine?" 

Abbey nodded. She could very easily imagine standing in front of a tank trying to protect her family. "Is…is there anything that we can do?" Abbey's question was voiced softly and with hesitation. There was an awful lot of horror in the world and as much as Jed might want to help, that wasn't always possible. She knew it would weigh heavy on his soul if this were one of those times. Violence of any kind was abhorrent to her husband, but sexual violence had touched his own family personally and it was very real to him in way that other violent acts were not. 

"I've changed my Inaugural address. I'm sending troops in to Kundu. Will Bailey asked me today why an American life was more important than a Kundunese life. It shouldn't be, should it?" 

"No." As a doctor all human life was sacred to Abbey. 

"But to me it has to be. I'm the President of the United States. I have to do what's best for my country and the people of my country. But, Abbey, this country stands for something. It stands for freedom and democracy and it should stand for what's right and what's wrong. What's going on in Kundu is wrong. It's genocide and we can't ever allow something like that to happen again." 

"Congress doesn't want you send them, do they?" 

"No," he sighed. "They feel we should mind our own business. But, Abbey, if this were happening again in Germany or if it were happening in Belgium or anywhere in Europe, Congress and the people of this country would be outraged. Because it's Africa, there is apathy. It's just something that happens on the news. It shouldn't be that way. That's not the America I want to lead." 

Abbey smiled tenderly and kissed his shoulder. "I'm going to be very proud to be sitting behind you during your Inaugural address while you tell country about the kind of America that you DO want to lead. And I'm going to be so proud to be the one holding the Bible while you take the oath of office." 

Jed gave her a soft half smile and pulled her hand to his lips to kiss her palm. "Thanks for waking up with me. I feel a lot better." 

"What's a First Lady for?" She reached over to shut off the light. 

"I don't know about all First Ladies, but I don't know what I'd do without this one." He pulled her into his arms tucking her head against his chest and for the first time that day a feeling of peace descended over him. He was doing the right thing. 

**** 

" _Happy Birthday to you…Happy Birthday Nicholas and Aislinn…Happy Birthday to you._ " 

Cheers filled the Kennedy Center as a few thousand people finished singing to the Bartlet twins to help celebrate their second birthday. Nicholas and Aislinn were on hand to attend the "Children's Gala" with both their parents as part of their father's pre-Inaugural celebrations. They had watched song and dance numbers from the musical _The Lion King_ , watched skits done by _The Rugrats, SpongeBob_ and _Sesame Street_ characters and had seen Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson sing _Beauty and the Beast_. Now, with the President's remarks made and his children by his side on the stage, the crowd was on their feet singing just to them. 

"Birfday?" Nicholas turned to his mother. 

"Yes, they're all singing for your and Aislinn's birthday. Remember, Mommy told you when we get home we're going to have cake and ice cream?" 

"Two." Nicholas looked at his hand making sure he had the right amount of fingers up then displayed them for Abbey. Daddy had been working on that with him. 

"That's right. You're going to be two." Abbey applauded his efforts. 

"Ice cweam!" Aislinn began hopping on one foot with excitement. 

"Before we go home for ice cream, there is someone I think you both might like to meet." Jed took each child's hand and led them back stage. As they rounded the corner, both came face to face with their idol. Jed watched with delight as their eyes widened and their jaws dropped open. 

"'PONGEBOB!" Nicholas burst out with excitement. He looked up at his father then pointed at the goofy faced yellow sponge standing before them. "Daddy, 'pongeBob!" 

"I see that," Jed grinned. "Would you like to meet Mr. SpongeBob?" 

Nicholas nodded still wide-eyed with awe. Aislinn wasn't quite so sure what to make of everything. She hung back clinging to her father's leg while Jed made the introductions then peered around his knee to watch her brother babbling away with SpongeBob. It didn't take much coaxing from her parents after that to get her to move shyly forward to shake SpongeBob's hand. 

"Of course you know any birthday gift they receive this afternoon is going to pale by comparison to this moment." Abbey slipped an arm around Jed's waist as she watched her little ones innocent joy at meeting their favorite cartoon character. 

"Yup, I think we just made their day." 

**** 

Jed Bartlet lay in bed listening to the sound of his wife in the shower. It was the day of his second Inauguration and the sun had not yet risen. Typically, Abbey had gotten to the shower first, her excuse being that it took her a hell of a lot longer to get ready than it did for him. However, this morning it seemed that she had been in there forever. His eyes fell the video camera that was sitting on the chair. They had been using it the previous night to film the twins' second birthday. The germ of an idea took hold and he got to his feet. 

The hot water cascaded over Abbey's body and yet she was still only half-awake. It had been an incredibly busy week. There had been galas every evening, brunches and lunches every day, situating the entire Bartlet and O'Neill clans that had come down for the festivities, and last night the children's small family birthday party. And, with all that had been going on, it was only today that they reached the main event. She leaned her head back closing her eyes as she rinsed the conditioner from her hair and as she did so she felt cooler air penetrate her warm haven. She opened her eyes and gave a start as she saw a grinning Jed standing there with a video camera running as he filmed her showering. 

"JED!" She gasped and pulled the shower curtain over to cover her breasts and nether regions. "What the hell are you doing?!" 

"I'm filming today for posterity. Tell me, Mrs. Bartlet, do you feel much differently about this, your husband's second Inauguration? Are there still any nerves?" 

"Jed Bartlet, I am not going to stand here completely nude and discuss how I feel about your second Inauguration." 

"Ah, come on, Abs. It's just for me." 

"Yeah, the last time I did something like that it came back to bite me on the ass. I'd rather not see this little interview on _60 Minutes_." 

"I imagine the ratings would be through the roof." 

"I imagine they would be. Now shut that thing off and hand me my towel, please." 

**** 

As Jed shook his wet head and turned off the shower, he heard the chatter of small children coming from his bedroom. Abbey had left the bathroom door open. The twins were up. Smiling, he slipped into a pair of boxers and opened the door to the bedroom. Still in her silk bathrobe, Abbey was trying to get Nicholas to put his slippers back on and as she looked over her shoulder at Jed her eyes widened with surprise. 

"You're not wearing those today, are you?" 

Jed gazed down at the SpongeBob boxers the kids had gotten him for Christmas. "Why not?" he asked irreverently. "No one's going to see my underwear and I like the idea of sort of taking my family with me." 

"Whatever floats your boat, babe." Abbey continued to look at him with a big grin on her face. She couldn't imagine what millions of Americans would think if they knew that their President, the man who was standing before them giving a lofty, idealistic speech was wearing SpongBob SquarePants boxer shorts under his fitted trousers. It was a quirk to Jed's personality that she found very appealing and always had. 

"Me 'pongeBob, too?" Nicky turned hopeful eyes toward his mother. 

"Not today, kiddo. We're not quite ready for that yet. You need to wear your pull ups today." 

"Pease, Mumma." His eyes implored her to let him emulate his father. 

"Tell you what. I'll look and see if we have any SpongeBob pull ups left, okay?" 

Nicholas nodded, a dimple forming as he smiled. 

"I'm going to go dry my hair," she said to Jed. "Can you keep an eye on them for a few minutes?" 

"Of course." 

"Daddy, me wan nonie." Aislinn reached up to tug on his hand ready to drag him to the kitchen. Jed's gaze snapped quickly to Abbey wondering if she had caught the exchange. She had. 

"Uh, I don't think your mother was planning on doughnuts for breakfast." 

"No, she wasn't," Abbey said from the bathroom doorway. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't load them up with sugar this morning. It's going to be hard enough to keep up with them today." 

"Okay, you heard Mommy, no 'nonie's' today." 

Abbey had to chuckle at the twin looks of betrayal that were turned Jed's way. 

**** 

By the time Abbey came out of the bathroom, Aislinn was kneeling at Jed's feet tangling his shoelaces into knots while Jed talked on the phone. She looked up from her work to beam a big smile at her mother. 

"Mumma, I hep Daddy." The pride in her efforts was unmistakable and Abbey bit her cheek at the rueful gaze that Jed gave his feet. 

"I see that and you did a marvelous job. But, it's time for Izzy to give you two a bath while Mommy and Daddy finished getting dressed for church." 

"Wanna go chooch." Aislinn's lower lip pouted out and Nicky was quick to join her. 

"No. We already discussed this. You can't come to church with us, but if you're good for Izzy you can come and watch Daddy speak and see the big parade. Okay?" 

"We be good." Nicky took Aislinn's hand and pulled her along toward the door. Abbey chanced a quick glance at Jed and he gave her a tender smile his eyes still on their children who were walking hand in hand. His fist moved up to tap his heart with the love that he had for them. 

**** 

Father Thomas Callahan stood at the pulpit of the National Cathedral at the interdenominational Inaugural morning church services. "I've known Josiah Bartlet since he was an altar boy for me at Holy Trinity. I married him and his wife Abigail and I've baptized all of his children. I spoke here four years ago when this extraordinary man was elected President for the first time. I spoke then of his intelligence, of his compassion, of his humanity. Today, I'd like to honor Abigail Bartlet as well. As someone who has watched this couple grow and mature, watched the strength they take and receive from the other I can tell you that having Abigail by his side has helped Jed become the man and the President that he is today. Abigail…Abbey," Tom smiled and gazed down affectionately at Abbey in the front pew. "America should be proud and honored to have a First Lady who truly is a helpmate to the President. A woman who not only exults with him in times of joy, but helps in times of crisis and comforts in times of great sorrow." 

Tom nodded toward the First Couple as he moved to take his seat with the other members of the clergy while the haunting strains of a cello filled the Cathedral and singer Josh Groban stood before the congregation his inspirational voice filling the hallowed halls. 

> _"When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;_  
>  When troubles come and my heart burdened be;   
> Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,   
> Until you come and sit awhile with me. 
> 
> You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;   
> You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;   
> I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;   
> You raise me up: To more than I can be."

Abbey felt Jed's hand close over hers. She turned slightly and noticed the shiny brightness of tears in his eyes. She looked quickly back to the altar, her own eyes swimming dangerously. As the beautiful song continued to grow to its crescendo and the Washington Choir added their amazing vocals, Jed squeezed her hand tightly as if to control his emotions and she knew that she could not look at him. She knew the TV cameras were on her. Taking deep breaths and swallowing past the lump in her throat, Abbey kept the tears at bay. It was her wedding rings that did her in. The moment she felt Jed twisting her diamond engagement ring and gold wedding band, she blinked and a tear trickled slowly down her cheek. 

As the song ended Jed lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed the rings he'd been toying with. Only C-SPAN was showing the service live but that one small loving gesture was one of the Inaugural moments that would be played over and over on the nightly news. 

**** 

Standing on the dais on the West Portico of the Capitol in front of hundreds of thousands of people, Abbey stood holding the family Bible. There had been a huge mess up with which Bible to use and Abbey had finally just grabbed her and Jed's personal Bible. It was the worn Bible that recorded their marriage, the births of their children and the deaths of their child and Jed's father; the Bible both she and Jed turned to when needing guidance and solace. Now she held it while surrounded by her three elder daughters, two of whom held her two youngest children in their arms. Her husband stood before her his left hand setting on that worn Bible his right hand held aloft as he took the oath of office. 

"I, Josiah Daniel Bartlet, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." 

Abbey smiled proudly, kissed Jed's cheek and squeezed his hand before she and her children returned to their seats. Once seated, she was thankful to be able to slide her hands back into the elegant faux fur muff that was more than just a lovely accessory to her outfit. Just because her husband was hatless and gloveless on the bright, sunny, but frigid January noon, didn't mean that she needed to freeze her butt off as well. As Jed got the crowd to quiet and took his place behind the microphone, Abbey leaned down and pointed toward him. 

"Nicky, Ash, look. Daddy is going to speak right now. She knew they were probably far too young to remember this moment, but she wanted so badly for them to see all that their father had accomplished. To see just what a great man he truly was. Deep in her heart she hoped that later in life they might retain some small niggling of a memory of the day when their father became the President of the United States for the second time. 

It was all so different this time around. Last time there had been so many worries. She had a daughter still in high school who wanted to finish her senior year at home. She was still closing up her medical practice and leaving her life as a physician behind. She had just spent two months packing for a move into a house that she had only visited once and that visit had been incredibly uncomfortable and incredibly brief. For the first time in her life, she was not part of moving her family into a new residence; and she could only sit and hope that while Jed spoke, the movers were making a seamless switchover. Most of all there had been worries about the unknown. She hadn't any idea of what being a First Lady would entail and she hadn't any idea of how Jed would respond to having the weight of the world thrust upon his shoulders. Never in her wildest of dreams would she have imagined that within his first year of office she would get pregnant and give birth to the twins who were seated beside her playing with their mittens, their cheeks rosy and their eyes bright with excitement. Only in her most horrible nightmares would she have imagined that in that same year her husband would be shot twice and hover for days between life and death. Never in her heart would she have believed that she would be sitting here four years later watching her husband make another Inaugural Address. 

But, at least this time she could sit back and enjoy his speech. She had turned the White House Residence into a home. She knew exactly what her position would entail, and she knew that her husband was absolutely suited for the job of highest office in the land. It was a much more confident woman who sat on the dais today than the woman who sat there four years ago had been. 

After his speech Jed was able to join his family to watch the Inaugural Parade which was what the children had been waiting for all day. Abbey was thankful for the hot air blowers that kept them warm while watching. She knew her husband would have nixed the idea, would have frozen his balls off rather than give in to creature comforts, but he had caved in because of the children. They hadn't wanted Nicholas and Aislinn in the cold for over two hours and the children had been looking forward to the parade ever since they'd been told about it. So, the hot air blowers were a compromise. 

Jed enjoyed the parade immensely. The hard part of his day was over. The much-anticipated speech had been given and now it was time to enjoy the day, at least for a little while before he was ushered back into the Situation Room. The cameras enjoyed focusing in on him pointing out floats and putting each of the children on his shoulders at times. They enjoyed focusing in on the First Lady wiping runny noses and the Bartlets' elder daughters laughing with their young siblings. It was rare to see the Bartlet twins candidly on television so the networks took advantage of that while they could. 

**** 

Jed hadn't been back in the White House three minutes when Leo told him they had to have a meeting about Kundu. He sent Abbey and the rest of their family up to the Residence to prepare for the evening of Inaugural balls and then made his way to the meeting. It was well over an hour later when he returned to the Residence. There were people all over the place – his mother, his brother and wife, his in-laws and their families – and they were all preparing for the night's festivities. He made his way quickly to the sanctuary of his bedroom only to realize right from the start that it was no sanctuary. Aislinn stood outside the bathroom door completely naked, her blanket in one hand and a bottle hanging from the other. There were garish lines of pink lipstick all over her cherubic face and slashes of eyeshadow that could only mean she had gotten into her mother's make up. 

"What kind of mischief have you been up to?" he asked stepping towards her. 

Aislinn looked up at him with solemn eyes. "Mumma mad," she informed him. 

"I'll just bet she is." Jed could hear Abbey muttering in the bathroom and figured he better help out. Just as he bent to pick Aislinn up, she proceeded to pee on the floor. Panda sniffed at the puddle and before Jed could stop her, the puppy had squatted and started to pee as well. 

"Okay, enough, enough, no more pee." Jed started to move to the bathroom and as he did he saw his son peek around the corner his face and hair covered in shaving cream. Oh Lord, he thought with a sigh, Abbey must be fit to be tied. 

"Nicholas Bartlet, you get your little butt back in this bathroom right now." Abbey followed her son out of the bathroom. She was barefooted and wearing just a short full slip. A few hot curlers were hanging limply from her auburn hair. It was amazing just how sexy his wife looked even when she was frazzled and Abbey was definitely frazzled. When she saw him standing there her eyes flashed with indignation. 

"Two minutes. I swear to God, I left them for TWO MINUTES and they got into my cosmetic bag and into your shaving cream." 

"Me save." Nicholas patted his foamy cheeks. 

"You got a ways to go before you're shaving, buddy." Jed couldn't help but grin. 

"If you so much as think about laughing, Jed Bartlet, you're going to be dancing funny tonight." 

"Wouldn't dream of laughing," he assured her, then turned a stern eye toward the children. "Okay you two. You have been VERY naughty this afternoon. Aislinn, you know you're not allowed to go in Mommy's bag of make up and Nicholas, I've told you several times you cannot touch Daddy's shaving cream. Now I want you both to MARCH into that bathroom and set your little butts in the tub so we can clean you up." 

Aislinn and Nicholas immediately turned and headed contritely back into the bathroom. Abbey watched them with a shake of her head wondering if she could figure out how to deepen her voice into Jed's authoritative tone so they would listen to her just as quickly. She knew she could terrify Jed's staff with just a look but her children were an entirely different matter altogether. 

Jed followed his offspring into the bathroom pausing as he passed where Abbey stood with her arms crossed over her chest – green eyes still glinting fire. "By the way, sweet 'ums, love the sexy curlers." He reached out and gave one a little tug. As frazzled as she was, Abbey could only laugh. Then, in a better humor she joined him to get the kids cleaned up for the evening ahead. 

**** 

"I'll be ready in just a few minutes," Abbey poked her head into the chaos that was their living room. 

"Take your time, dear." Jed sat fully dressed and seemingly unconcerned by all the activity as he read his newspaper. 

"I'm serious. It's only going to take Armand a few minutes to do my hair." Abbey ushered her hairdresser into the bedroom. 

"Sure, sure." Jed knew just how long Abbey's "few minutes" usually were. He'd learned long ago that a few minutes was usually closer to a half hour when it came to his wife preparing for an evening out and he'd learned that it was less stressful to occupy himself than it was to get frustrated with her. 

"I'm telling you," she pointed a finger at him. "A few minutes." 

Jed simply nodded her way as he continued to read his paper. He grinned to himself as heard the door slam with her frustration. 

"You do know how to push her buttons," Beth shook her head at her son-in-law. 

"It's up to me to keep her on her toes." Jed set his paper in his lap with a mischievous grin. Beth had to resist the urge to tousle his hair the way she would Nicky's. 

"And it's such a fine job you do." 

Jed glanced up as Aislinn and Nicholas came running into the room laughing and shrieking. 

"Okay you two. Let's settle down and keep things to a dull roar in here." 

Nicholas stopped chasing Aislinn and picked his trusted stuffed Tigger off the floor where Aislinn had thrown it after hearing her father's voice. She knew she was not allowed to touch Nicky's Tigger and he was not allowed to touch her blankie. Pulling the stuffed toy protectively to his chest, Nicky made his way over to his where his father sat in his favorite chair. 

"Up." he demanded. 

"Please," Jed corrected him. 

"Up, pwease." 

Jed nodded and lifted the little boy onto his legs. Nicholas immediately curled up his lap, his thumb planted firmly in his mouth. 

"You know," Jed pulled the boy's thumb out of his mouth and examined the wet pruned digit. "If you keep sucking this thumb at this rate there's not going to be anything left of it by the time you're three." 

"Two," Nicholas told him holding up his two fingers as he'd been taught. 

"I know you're two now but your thumb might be gone by the time you turn three if you don't keep it out of your mouth." 

"No, Daddy." Nicholas shook his head negatively and put his thumb right back into his mouth. Jed shook his head with a smile, then looked up to survey the room while he cuddled his son. Aislinn, dancing with the interactive Elmo she had gotten for her birthday, was wearing a pretty emerald satin dress with a black velvet sash around the waist and a matching black velvet headband holding back her white blond curls. She looked like a toddler version of Alice in Wonderland. Liz, Ellie, Zoey, and Annie were running around half dressed zipping each other's gowns, fixing clasps on necklaces and giving advice on hair and make up. 

Jed loved women. He truly loved everything about them. He loved their warmth and compassion, their softness and their strength, their openness and their capacity for giving and he even enjoyed their vanity. But most of all he loved their laughter, especially on nights like these when it filled his home as surely as the gentle fragrance of their perfumes. He loved the sweet little girl giggles of Aislinn and the more sarcastic guffaws of the teenaged Annie. He loved the teasing laughter of Elizabeth, Ellie and Zoey as they went at each other as only sisters could. He loved the soft, gentle sound of loving laughter that came from Beth has she calmly helped her granddaughters through each hair crisis. And most of all he loved the throaty, sexy laugh of his wife. Women. He didn't always understand the mysteries of the gender that surrounded him but he did love them with all of his heart and he would never cease to be amazed by the wonder of them all. 

"Sir?" Leo made his way through the madness of the Bartlet residence to find Jed in his formal wear bouncing Aislinn on his knee. " _Trot trot to Boston, trot trot to Lynn, watch out, Aislinn, you don't fall in…_ " Jed dipped his daughter backward finishing the rhyme before looking up at his Chief of Staff. 

"What's up, Leo?" 

"Agin, Daddy, agin." Aislinn squeezed Jed's cheeks in her pudgy hands. 

"Ssh… Daddy's talking to Uncle Leo right now." 

"We need you in the Situation Room." 

"What about the balls?" 

"You'll still make it to the balls. We just need to give you a quick update on Kundu before you leave." 

"Okay, let me just tell Abbey I have to go." 

**** 

Ellie stood in the doorway of her parents' bedroom to see how much longer her mother was going to be. She smiled as she saw Abbey seated at her vanity table stroking her eyelashes with mascara while Aislinn watched her intensely. She'd been like that once, sitting on the floor of her parents' bedroom back home watching her mother prepare to go out with her father for the evening. It had all been so fascinating to see just what her mother did with eyeshadow and blush and lipstick. She remembered the warmth she'd felt when she saw the look in her parents' eyes as her mother adjusted her father's tie and fixed his cufflinks. Even then she had known that the look was one of love. Even then she had known there was an intimacy to that look that left her out. Later, even after her parents had left, Ellie would sometimes linger in their bedroom comforted by the mingling scents of her father's Bay Rum and her mother's floral perfume. Even now, as an adult the scent was oddly comforting as she watched her mother spritz the delicate skin of her wrists, her neck and, much to Aislinn's giggling delight, her cleavage. 

"Me too," the little girl begged dancing at her mother's feet. Abbey bent and gave her a spritz of perfume. As she placed the perfume back on the table, Nicholas came barreling in the room and Abbey had to grab him before he bashed headlong into her vanity table. 

"Nicholas, SLOW DOWN." 

"Panna chase me." Abbey looked up to see the little Sheltie puppy in hot pursuit of her son. She was less concerned with that than she was of the smudge on Nicky's face. 

"Honestly, Nicholas, I don't know HOW you can get dirty in the house." Abbey licked her thumb and rubbed it over the spot. 

"'Top it…" Nicholas squirmed away from her. "…'Top it, Mumma." 

"Mom, are you about ready?" Ellie called from the doorway. 

"Yeah." Abbey gave the kids one last survey. "Is your father back yet?" 

"No, I guess we're supposed to meet him downstairs." 

"Okay, let's go." 


	39. Everyday Is a Winding Road

Abbey stood in the foyer milling around with the rest of the staff and their family members while they waited for Jed to return from the Situation Room. 

"Oh, Abigail, Aislinn just looks like a little Princess," Emily was saying. "I'm glad you went with the emerald dress. She has your eyes and it really brings out the green in them." 

"Well, thank you, Emily." Abbey flashed a lifted brow at her own mother. It was rare that Emily Bartlet admitted that any of her daughter-in-law's genetic traits had made their way into the Bartlet gene pool. 

The room suddenly went quiet and Abbey turned to see why. She watched her husband come striding into the room in his tuxedo, full of strength and purpose, and her heart gave a lurch as she took in how handsome he looked, how powerful and how very, very sexy. The tuxedo gave him an air of elegance and the light from the chandeliers danced in his bronze hair. His blue eyes were like lasers as they fell intensely upon her. She loved him so much that just watching him walk into a room could give her a start. The power that emanated from him and the very physical attraction she still had for him after all these years pulled her to him as if by an invisible thread. She stepped forward and at the look in the President's eye the crowd hushed and parted like the Red Sea. 

Jed's heart thudded against his ribcage when he saw his wife. She looked absolutely gorgeous. Her sleek wine colored gown was elegant and displayed her slender figure quite nicely indeed. The neckline was a little less revealing than many of her gowns given the solemnity of the event but the gentle rise of her collarbone and the slender column of her neck were revealed by the slightly scooped neckline and her elegant upswept hair do. Jed paused before her taking her hands in his, his eyes locked with hers. "You take my breath away." He bent to kiss her gently on the lips. 

"You clean up pretty good yourself," she smiled, as she ran her thumb over his lips to remove the smudge of lipstick she'd left there. He smiled softly at her; the look in his eyes the one that Ellie remembered so vividly from her childhood. And then the intimate moment was over and he turned to everyone urging them into their cars. 

**** 

"Ladies and Gentleman, let me proudly introduce the President and First Lady of the United States, Josiah and Abigail Bartlet and the rest of the Bartlet family." 

Jed and Abbey strode out onto the stage at the MTV ball, the first ball on their list of five balls to attend. The cheers from the young crowd were deafening. 

"So, what do you say, guys," Jed took the microphone. "Do my gals look great or what?" He gestured a sweeping hand toward his wife and daughters. 

Again, the crowd reacted with cheers and this time whistles. "Seriously, though, for many of you this was the first time that you participated in an election, the first time you voted. I want to thank you on behalf of my family and my staff for sticking by the campaign and for putting all this youthful energy to good use. Now, from what I hear, this is supposed to be a party and I'm supposed to start things off. There is someone here who loves to dance and who has been practicing her moves for the past few months." He turned from the crowd to where Abbey stood with Aislinn and Nicholas clutching to her gown. 

"Aislinn, sweetheart, come dance with Daddy." 

The crowd erupted as the strains of _Isn't She Lovely_ filled the room and Aislinn toddled forward. The little girl took her father's hands and stepped up on to his feet as they had practiced. Jed bent down low and began to sing along with the lyrics while he carefully danced with his tiny daughter. 

> _"Isn't she lovely_  
>  Isn't she wonderful   
> Isn't she precious   
> Less than one minute old   
> I never thought through love we'd be   
> Making one as lovely as she   
> But isn't she lovely made from love 
> 
> Isn't she pretty   
> Truly the angel's best   
> Boy, I'm so happy   
> We have been heaven blessed   
> I can't believe what God has done   
> through us he's given life to one   
> But isn't she lovely made from love"

The music medley made a switch and as the strains of _My Girl_ began Jed took turns dancing with Annie, Liz, Zoey and Ellie. 

Abbey stood back with Nicholas on her hip, a smile of maternal pride on her face and a lump in her throat. They were so beautiful, her husband and their daughters and there was such love and genuine affection between them. She smiled softly as she watched Ellie kiss Jed's cheek as the song ended and Zoey passed Aislinn back into his arms. With barely a pause the song changed to the gravelly voiced Joe Cocker and Abbey began to dance with her son on her hip. 

> _"You are so beautiful to me.  
>  You are so beautiful to me."_

With Aislinn still curled up in his arms, Jed moved closer to his wife and son wrapping one arm around them both so that the four of them were able to dance together in one embrace. 

> _"You're everything I hoped for.  
>  You're everything I need.   
> You are so beautiful. To me."_

"Why, Leo McGarry, is that a genuine tear that I see in your eye?" Jordan teased. Leo was standing just offstage watching the family dance together, the words to the music hitting him right in the heart. 

"Maybe it is," Leo admitted. "Jed's a lucky man. He's got a beautiful family." 

"Yes, he does." Jordan stared at Leo's profile. His words were different this time. There was a hint of longing, but more than that there was warmth and love. "You're happy for him?" 

"Of course I'm happy for him. He's my best friend. He's come a long way; it's been a rough year. He deserves his moment in the sun." 

"And now everyone, the First Couple." Leo and Jordan turned their attention back to the stage. 

Abbey and Jed handed the little ones over to their older sisters and Jed placed his arm familiarly around Abbey's waist to pull her close although not as close as he would like. He smiled down into her face as he began to glide her along to a song he had picked specifically for this moment. The Frank Sinatra song had long been a favorite of his, a song that always made him think of his Abbey. 

> _"Some day, when I'm awfully low,_  
>  When the world is cold,   
> I will feel a glow just thinking of you...   
> And the way you look tonight. 
> 
> Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm   
> And your cheeks so soft,   
> There is nothing for me but to love you,   
> And the way you look tonight. 
> 
> With each word your tenderness grows,   
> Tearing my fear apart...   
> And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,   
> It touches my foolish heart. 
> 
> Lovely ... Never, ever change.   
> Keep that breathless charm.   
> Won't you please arrange it ?   
> 'Cause I love you ... Just the way you look tonight."

"I'll never forget a moment of tonight, Abbey." Jed whispered into her ear as the song came to a close. "I'll never forget how you helped me get to this moment and I'll never forget just how beautiful you are tonight and how good it feels to be here on this stage with you and with all of our children." 

"Good, I don't want you to ever forget it. Because I'll never forget how I feel about you today. I'm so proud of you, Jed, I could just bust. But, uh, Mr. President, the music has stopped." 

Jed looked around, He hadn't even realized that the song was over. "Well, I guess that's our cue." He pulled away from her with a sheepish smile at the catcalls sent their way. He took the microphone and faced the crowd. 

"Well, it's time for Abbey and me to hit the road everyone." 

Boos filled the room but Jed held up his hand. "Wait, wait…I'm leaving my daughters here to have a good time with you all. So have fun and thank you again for everything." Abbey and Jed kissed their daughters good-bye and headed out for the rest of their evening. The party was over for Aislinn and Nicholas who were going back to the White House with Isabelle but it was just starting for Abbey and Jed. They would stop briefly at three more balls before finishing their evening at the New Hampshire ball. 

**** 

"I was really proud of Jed today." Father Tom Cavanaugh was dancing with Abbey at the New Hampshire ball. "But you know, I couldn't help but think of just how magnificent he would have been on the pulpit calling people to God. That voice, that delivery." 

"You think Jed made the wrong choice?" Abbey pulled back to look up at her priest with surprise, a wounded look in her eyes. 

"How can you ask me that, Abigail?" Tom smiled and stroked her cheek. "No, I think he made the right choice. What I was going to say was that God obviously had other plans for Jed Bartlet, much bigger plans. That voice, that vision, it was too big, it needed a national stage and now he is calling to an entire nation. I think Jed is standing exactly where God intended him to be standing." 

"Do you mind if I cut in?" 

Abbey turned with surprise to see Leo standing before her. 

"Be my guest." Tom kissed Abbey's cheek and moved on. Abbey watched him walk away as if her lifeline were floating just out of reach. 

Leo took Abbey's hand. He felt how stiff she was as he pulled her into his arms. 

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" 

"I shouldn't be. I've danced with you dozens of times, Leo." 

"Yeah, but not since finding out how I feel about you. How I've always felt about you." 

"No, not since then." Abbey glanced around the room hoping Jed wasn't watching. She didn't know how he would react to Leo dancing with her. 

"I just want you to know that I think I've come to terms with all of that. I mean, I've come to terms with the fact that a part of me will always envy what Jed has with you. A part of my heart will always belong to you." 

"Leo…" Abbey started to pull away as she grew uncomfortable with the conversation. 

"No, listen to me. It's just a part of me; it isn't all of me anymore. I have room in my heart for others." 

"Jordan?" Abbey's eyes widened. "Are you in love with her? Have you told her? During sex doesn't count." 

Leo chuckled. "What a mouth you have on you, Abbey Bartlet. No, I haven't told her that I love her because I'm not sure if I do or not, and for your information I haven't had sex with her yet." 

"Well, what are you WAITING for?" 

Leo stared at her and Abbey could see the pain in his eyes. 

"Oh, Leo," she shook her head sadly. "Don't say it's because of me." 

"Indirectly. But, I didn't ask you to dance to rehash all this stuff. I just wanted to thank you for everything. You are one of the main reasons we are here celebrating tonight. I know about the deal. I know that Jed offered to drop out of the race if you couldn't bring yourself to support him and I know that once you decided to support him, you were behind him all the way. Without your tireless work on the campaign and without you being there for him, there is no way we would be here today. I just wanted you to know that, 'cause I don't think any of us tell you that enough." 

"Thank you, Leo." She didn't hear that enough. She got the criticism, but rarely did she get the thanks. Abbey stepped back as the music ended and Leo started to turn from her. "Leo?" He turned back around. "Exorcise your demons. Be with Jordan in every way that counts. Don't hold a part of yourself back." 

Leo smiled and gave her a sad little nod. 

Hot from dancing and being in the midst of the crowd, Abbey walked off the dance floor reaching for a glass of champagne from a wandering waiter. As she sipped from the glass, her eyes scanned the crowd looking for husband. Those eyes narrowed when they found him seated at a table with a busty blonde leaning down over him reaching for her drink and thrusting her breasts into his face. She moved forward as if propelled by force her eyes never leaving the scene. At the sight of the First Lady heading her way, Bitsy Carmichael backed off in her obvious flirting with the President. 

Jed had to bite his cheek to keep from grinning as Abbey blatantly ignored Bitsy, stepping in front of her and turning her back to her in a rude gesture that was not typical of his usually gracious wife. 

Her smoky gray green eyes smoldering with fire, Abbey placed a hand possessively on Jed's shoulder. "I believe they're playing one of our songs, Jed." 

Jed smiled as he listened to what was playing. It was _You Belong to Me_. "Why, I do believe you're right." Jed stood and took Abbey's hand in his. "You'll excuse us, Bitsy?" 

"Yes, of course." Bitsy plastered a fake smile on over her scowl. 

"Slut," Abbey muttered under her breath as Jed led her toward the dance floor. 

"Abbey!" Jed chuckled. 

"Well, she is. My God, she did everything short of burying your face in her tits trying to get you to notice them." 

"Now, sweetheart, you know Thelma and Louise are the only tits that interest me." 

Abbey laughed, her sour mood lifting but when Jed tried to pull her to him on the dance floor she stopped him. 

"I thought you wanted to dance?" He looked puzzled. 

"I do, but not here." She pulled him further along down a short hall and into the small cloakroom. 

"Abbey, what do you have in mind?" She had definitely piqued his interest. 

"Not what you do, evidently. I want a genuine romantic dance with my husband away from the cameras and away from all the prying eyes." 

"I can do that." 

"I know you can." Abbey shut the light and opened the drapes to allow the moonlight to spill into the room. Only then did she allow herself to be pulled into Jed's arms, to wrap her arms around his neck and lay her head against his shoulder the way that couldn't do in front of the world. She felt his hands on the small of her back holding her pinned close to him and she lost herself to the romantic music and the feel of his body pressed against hers. She began to sing softly along with the music her breath warm against his throat. 

> _"Fly the ocean in a silver plane_  
>  See the jungle when it's wet with rain   
> Just remember 'til you're home again   
> You belong to me."

She finished the last line looking deeply into his eyes. 

"Only you," he agreed. 

"No matter where you go or who you meet?" 

"I belong to you. I've always belonged to you and I always will." 

"And don't you forget it, even when sluts like Bitsy Carmichael are sticking their tits in your face." 

The low timbre of Jed's chuckle vibrated against her cheek. 

"Even then." 

"Jed, do you remember the last Inaugural night? The first night we spent in the White House?" 

"Abbey, I may be four years older but I'm not in my dotage yet. Of course I remember." 

Jed thought back to that night four years ago. He and Abbey had been running on emotion for months and that night they had been filled with both fear and excitement. It had been their first night in the White House and despite their exhaustion they had been determined to properly christen their new home. But, their need that night had been more than just about the titillation of making love in the White House. It had been the need of something familiar. Everything about the day had been so alien to them, so foreign, and they were ending the day in a strange bedroom, in a strange bed. It was only through the familiar touching of each other's bodies, of being joined as one in an act they had perfected over the years until it was as comforting as it was passionate, that they kept themselves from being overwhelmed. 

Even with his passion spent, Jed had been too full of nerves to sleep much that night and when Abbey awoke just after dawn, they had continued on with the intimacy of the night before. He had been under the covers between his wife's thighs, Abbey writhing and moaning with every stroke of his tongue when the door to their bedroom opened and a steward pushed a breakfast cart into the room. Abbey immediately yanked the covers up over her breasts and snapped her legs closed around Jed's head causing him to yelp with pain. 

"Oh…oh, ma'am, begging your pardon!" The steward turned away with embarrassment. 

"What…what you are you doing just walking in here?!" Abbey sputtered, her face burning with embarrassment. 

"The President always wanted me to deliver his breakfast at six. The First Lady, well, she didn't sleep in here." 

"Well, this First Lady sleeps with her husband, and on occasion she does more than sleep." Abbey could feel Jed chuckling against her inner thigh, his beard scratching the delicate skin there as he tried to keep still so he wouldn't be noticed. He had no idea that the yelp of pain had already given him away. "From now on, WE will order our breakfast when we're ready to eat and from now on, we expect you to KNOCK before entering." 

"Yes, ma'am. Of course, ma'am." As the steward turned to leave and Jed began to move up his wife's body, they heard Leo's voice. 

"Oh good, they're up." 

Jed flattened himself under the covers and froze. 

"Mornin', Abbey." Leo and Josh entered the bedroom. "Sorry, we thought you were up." 

"Where is the President?" Josh asked. 

"Well, he…uh…he's…" 

"AhhCHOO!" Jed sneezed under the covers drawing everyone's eyes to the foot of the bed. Sheepishly, Jed poked his head out from under the covers making it very obvious what he had been up to. 

"Hey, guys." 

Abbey pulled the covers up over her head wanting to die with embarrassment. "Could you please all leave now?" Her muffled voice called out from under the covers. 

"Oh, God, Jed, sir…Abbey…Sorry," Leo was mortified. Josh was more amused than embarrassed and Leo had to grab his arm and drag him from the room. 

"We need some new rules here!" Jed called after them. 

Jed began to laugh softly at the memory of that morning. It all seemed so long ago. 

"Don't laugh, Jed. That was one of the most humiliating moments of my life." She slapped him gently on the arm. 

"Well, at least they've all learned to knock before entering our bedroom. You up for a repeat performance of last year." 

"I'll think about it." 

"Really?" 

Abbey felt the zipper on her dress slide down her back. 

"Jed!" She stepped back. "What do you think you're doing?" 

"Checking to see if you kept a promise you made me." He pulled her dress down to her waist exposing breasts that were thrusting up and spilling out of the sexy corset he had bought her in New Orleans. The same one that she had promised to wear on the night of his Inauguration. 

"I see you've done a little more than think about it." He bent his head to press his lips to the soft creamy swell. 

"Jed," she sighed. "Pretty soon people are going to be coming in here to get their coats. I think we need to continue this trip down memory lane in our bedroom." 

"Where they have to knock," he agreed, sinking his teeth gently into her skin with a sharp little love bite before reluctantly lifting her dress back in place and zipping it up. "It's been a long road, hasn't it?" He took her hand. 

"A long winding road," she agreed. "And we're right back where we started." 

"And that's a good thing, right?" 

"Yeah," she smiled gently up into his face. "That's a real good thing." 

_The End_


End file.
